


Embrace the better side of yourself

by holy3cake



Series: The Luke Chronicles [2]
Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV)
Genre: Acceptance, Boys Kissing, Classroom Confessions, Cute, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Multi, Self-Discovery, Shyness, Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tutoring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:55:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26233789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holy3cake/pseuds/holy3cake
Summary: Luke has been debating his life for a while, and with the help of Diego and Charlie, finally accepted his sexuality. But when his grades start to fall rapidly, he searches for a new tutor. Will he get on with his tutor, or will events take a dramatic turn? Perhaps there’s some romance on the cards for Luke.Second instalment into The Luke Chronicles.Rated M for mentions of trauma, rape and language. Please be advised!
Relationships: Charlie St. George/Alex Standall, Luke Holliday/Robby Corman
Series: The Luke Chronicles [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905430
Comments: 52
Kudos: 32





	1. A Verbal Warning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! Omg I’m so nervous, I haven’t written anything 13RW in a while, I hope you can forgive me for being absent! I am aware that I’m starting a new story when many of my others are still going (I will finish them I promise!) If anyone is actually still reading my works, like I appreciate even one view so thanks guys 😊 I wrote this story because of my love for Luke, and I hope this story will be a good read! Any kudos or criticism is greatly appreciated too, so don’t be shy! Love to you all! <3

“I swear, if you continue to bring home this junk, you’re not playing football anymore!” Mr Holliday threw the assignment on the table, scattering paper as he did. Mrs Holliday shook her head and patted her husband’s shoulder, trying to take a sympathetic view on the situation. It was the third time Luke had brought home an assignment with a bold red F plastered all over its contents. Luke was sitting with his head down, zoning out as his parents ranted and raved in the background. It wasn’t as though he didn’t try to do his work, but football had to take priority. He’d rather stay late to practice, than start an assignment he’d been handed weeks ago and should’ve finished already. Mr Holliday knew that Luke had been neglecting his studies, but wished he’d intervened sooner. However his threat had the desired effect, and Luke looked up angrily when he heard the heated words.

“You can’t do that!” Luke stood up angrily, his hands balling into fists.

“I mean it, Luke! You better improve, I’ll give you one chance to show me that you deserve to play. Otherwise, your mother and I will take action. Get a grip!” Mr Holliday stormed out, leaving Luke and his mother standing awkwardly in the dining room. Luke picked up his bag and headed to the door, ignoring his mother’s pleas to stay and talk to his dad. He had no intention of staying when he knew his family would only belittle him even more. As he left, he pulled his phone out and called Diego.

“Hey man! What’s up?” Diego’s cheerful voice managed to put a small smile on Luke’s face.

“Hey. Had an argument with dad again. Do you wanna do something?”

“Ah sorry buddy, I’m at Jessica’s. Come over if you want though, we’re just watching movies!”

“And watch you two make out? No thanks. Have fun though!” Luke sighed and hung up, shoving his phone into his back pocket. He considered calling Charlie, but he knew that he was likely to be with Alex, and he didn’t want to interrupt another couple. All of his friends were dating people now, and although he’d never admit it to them, he was feeling lonely. His family was constantly shouting at him, and all of the guys were always with their significant other. It was an uphill struggle, trying to be happy for his friends whilst wondering around town on his own. He eventually ended up at Monet’s, nursing a coffee by himself. Whilst he looked around at the couples, he sighed and played a game on his phone, knowing he would have to return home soon but trying to prolong it as long as possible.

***

Walking to school the next morning, Luke ignored his family again and tried to focus on faking interest for English. It was a hellish class to say the least, and sometimes he couldn’t help taking a sneaky nap when the professor turned their back. As he reached the gates, Diego ran up to him with a big smile.

“Hey! You fix things with your dad?”

“No. He said if I don’t improve my grades, I can’t play football.” Luke sighed sadly and followed Diego into their classroom. Diego’s eyes widened as he sat down.

“He can’t do that! I thought your dad was fine with your grades?”

“He was….until I failed that maths test. Now he’s pissed. It’s not like I fucking tried to fail!” Luke huffed and earnt a pat on the shoulder.

“We’ll fix this man. Let’s talk to Charlie at lunch, he’ll help you.” Diego smiled and nodded as the professor walked in to start the lesson. Luke sat tapping his pen and staring blankly at the board, his mind floating in different directions as he tried to concentrate. He tried so hard, but still couldn’t focus like he wanted to. He didn’t understand how Diego could put his focus into multiple subjects and get amazing grades, whilst his own mind seemed to be trained on football and nothing else. Sports were always easy for Luke, he went out onto the field and loved playing with his team and getting the praise when they won. But academically, he struggled from a very young age. His parents always travelled and left him to do the work on his own, but he never understood the problems. If he couldn’t solve the problem, he couldn’t answer it. Even when he started at Liberty, he was offered extra support but his pride wouldn’t allow him to take it. He barely scraped the grades as a freshman, but he often copied other student’s answers, or bribed someone else to do the work for him. But here he was, stuck with an ultimatum to either improve or lose the one thing he loved more than anything else. Football was his life, and he’d be damned if he let anyone take it away from him.

As the lesson ended, Luke and Diego headed to the cafeteria. When they got their trays, they sat opposite each other. Luke would’ve normally sat next to his best friend, but he knew Jessica would want to be all over Diego as soon as they sat down. He rolled his eyes as he started eating, he wasn’t wrong in his predication as Jessica sat in Diego’s lap, kissing him like nobody else was there.

“Ew guys, give it a rest already!” Charlie grinned and sat beside Luke, with Alex in tow. They were holding hands, but Luke always appreciated their subtly at lunch. Charlie and Alex would never have made out in such a grotesque way over food. As he smiled at them, he smirked as Diego rolled his eyes and disbanded from Jessica.

“Sorry. But hey Charlie?”

“Mm?”

“We need your input on something. Luke, tell him!” Diego pointed his fork at Luke as he started eating. Luke sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead, turning to look at Charlie.

“I’m failing in class. My dad said if I don’t do something, I’m not allowed to play football. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do…” Luke played with the crust on his sandwich, whilst Charlie nodded and smiled softly.

“Well……maybe you need a tutor?”

“A tutor?”

“You know, like another student to help you with the work. Ask the professor, he can pick someone for you.” Charlie smiled and squeezed Alex’s hand. Whilst he wasn’t Alex’s official tutor, the two of them always helped each in Spanish. Luke titled his head as he thought about the prospect.

“What if I get stuck with a dork?”

“Luke. Remember to be kind.” Charlie nudged him, making Luke nod.

“I’m sorry! But seriously, if I get stuck with some fucking nerd, they’re gonna make fun of me.”

“Or you could get someone hot! Not that you’ll get any work done!” Diego sniggered and earnt a play slap from Jessica. Luke rolled his eyes and bit into his sandwich. As he ate, Alex contributed to the conversation.

“I know someone that will tutor you. But I think he’s scared of you.” Alex said, looking at Luke from Charlie’s shoulder.

“Scared?”

“Because you’re like the tallest, angriest jock on the team.” Charlie giggled at Alex’s words, nodding in agreement. Luke bit his lip and turned to look at Alex.

“I’m not….angry. Who is this kid anyway?”

“Robby Corman. He has French with Tyler, if you want I can ask him about the tutoring. But you have to be a bit more….”

“A bit more…?”

“Soft? He’s really shy…” Alex looked over at Robby sitting alone at his usual table, cowering when jocks walked past him. Everyone else at the table followed Alex’s eyes, and Luke blinked when he saw Robby alone. It was almost how he felt, he was sitting at a crowded table but he felt how Robby looked. It was a sad sight, and Luke felt an overwhelming urge to be better, to be kind as Charlie always suggested. He took Alex’s words in mind, and stood up with a smile. Thanking Alex, he headed over and sat opposite a very startled Robby.

“Hi. You’re Robby, right?” Luke smiled softly, desperately trying to give off an approachable manner. Robby nodded shyly, his face shrouded in confusion.

“Y-Yes….You’re Luke Holliday…..why are you sitting with me?” He said nervously, biting his nail.

“I need help. I heard that you help people with studying? Like tutoring, or something? Would you help me?” Luke sat with great hesitation, Robby’s next words could make or break his future in football.


	2. Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I’m not sure if anyone is actually reading this but if you are, thank you you lovely person 😊 I just like doing this one for fun, if anyone seriously dislikes this I’ll take it down but yeah, please enjoy if you are reading! Just some light cute stuff for you! We’re going to explore Robby’s side of things as well! Also this chapter gets a bit upsetting, so if anyone feels this could be a trigger, just warning you here! Mentions of rape here.

_“Would you help me?”_

“Are you joking?” After hearing Luke’s proposition, Robby’s first reaction was to assume his plea was fake, that it was just another opportunity to play games. The jocks would often try and lull him into a false sense of security, then pull his pants down or push him over in the corridor. He was sick of the constant bullying, and Luke had often laughed when he saw it happen. He was the last person in the world he’d ever want to help, and before Luke even had a chance to defend himself, Robby stood up and picked up his tray.

“I wouldn’t help you if you got down on your knees and begged. Fuck you.” Robby growled and walked off, moving to another table. He felt the entire football team watching him, and hunched as though he expected a bottle to hit him. But instead, he heard Diego sighing loudly as Luke returned to their table. He nibbled his salad, but couldn’t help feeling guilty. He was part of the tutoring scheme, so he didn’t mind giving other students help with their work. But he was so sceptical of Luke’s intentions, and he refused to give his service to someone who would play him until an opportunity arose for bullying, or worse. Luke scared him, and not only because of who he associated with. He was so tall and overwhelming, he knew that if he ever got on the wrong side of him he’d be in hospital for weeks. One punch and he’d be floored, so he didn’t want to take any chances. Even though he rejected him, he still couldn’t shake the tiny spark of guilt building inside him. Guilt for refusing to help someone, no matter who they were. But he had to swallow down his thoughts along with his food, otherwise he’d be late for class.

Robby picked up his bag and headed towards French, trying his best to forget his encounter with Luke. As he walked, he smiled as Tyler ran towards him and joined him for their class.

“Hey Robby! How are you?” Tyler smiled as he sat down in the classroom beside him.

“I’m okay. Where were you at lunch?”

“Oh sorry, I was working on the yearbook. I was also talking with Alex…” Tyler’s voice was ominous. Robby raised his eyebrows and opened his book, looking at the older boy.

“Yeah?”

“He wanted me to ask you why you won’t tutor Luke. Apparently you rejected him at lunch?” Hearing Tyler’s soft oblivious voice made anger flare in Robby’s system.

“Oh, well we can’t reject perfect little Luke, can we?!” He panted.

“Robby…..what’s wrong?”

“Why is Alex even hanging out with them, anyway? I thought Jessica was dating Diego now?”

“He’s with Charlie. Robby, stop changing the subject. Why do you hate him so much?” Tyler gently nudged him with his ruler.

“Tyler. Just……don’t push it, okay? I don’t ask you why you stood up at assembly, so don’t ask why I did.” Robby swallowed hard and looked away, knowing that Tyler was giving him a sympathetic look behind him. The two of them had bonded because of HO, but neither of them knew the other’s story. Robby knew about Monty, but he didn’t know the details as he’d never ask Tyler to relive that moment. He knew what it was like, but Tyler didn’t know much about his own experience. Even the memory was painful to remember, so he hadn’t told Tyler everything yet.

During the rest of French, Robby tapped his pen and couldn’t focus. Normally he’d be fine, but his conversation with Luke had annoyed him, more than he’d care to admit. Even seeing the blonde’s face made him boil with anger, but the sadness was beginning to seek in. Blinking back tears, he excused himself and walked out of class, straight out onto the field. As he was disorientated, he didn’t realise that he’d walked right into the middle of a practice game. The jocks hurled abuse at him, but Coach Kerba hushed them and put his hand on Robby’s shoulder. Charlie also ran over and nodded at them both.

“Robby? Are you okay buddy?” Coach Kerba said, looking into his eyes. Robby was motionless, only blinking in response. He was beginning to feel cold, and he shook slightly. The memories were starting to creep back, and he wasn’t strong enough to fight them. The world was spinning, and he was back in the showers.

“ _Take them off, now.”_

_“Look at him, little faggot.”_

“Robby! Charlie, take him to the nurse. I’ll see what class he was meant to be in and sort that.” Coach Kerba patted Charlie’s arm as Charlie nodded. Robby blinked rapidly as he felt Charlie helping him through the halls. The showers faded, but he shrugged Charlie’s hand off him violently.

“What the fuck?!”

“Robby, calm down! I’m trying to help you!” Charlie said softly, holding his hands up to show he wasn’t going to touch him.

“What….what happened…”

“You walked out onto the field. But you weren’t responsive. Do you remember how you got there?”

“No…..I was in French….”

“Coach is talking to your professor. Don’t worry. Robby, what’s wrong?” Charlie’s voice was sweet and caring, but Robby still saw it as a façade.

“Just shut the fuck up! Is that what your little game is? Are you going to hurt Alex too?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re dating Alex, no? Are you going to pretend that you like him, just to get what you want?! So you can rape him?!” Robby screeched, panting heavily. Charlie stared at him, his eyes were welling up and his mouth was slightly open. The two of them stood in silence, the sound of Robby’s panting was the only noise in the empty hall. After a moment, Charlie sniffled.

“You think I’d do that? I love Alex…..I love Alex so much. Why would you say something like that?” Charlie looked at the ground, trying to hold back tears. Robby was startled by his reaction, but he was beginning to calm down.

“Jocks aren’t capable of loving someone else.”

“So you’re judging me because I’m a jock? Robby, I helped Tyler go to the police. I turned against my best friend, because he was a rapist. And now you’re accusing me of rape? What the fuck is wrong?” Charlie crossed his arms, his previous sadness replaced with curiosity. Robby looked at him, biting his lip. He knew that Charlie was different to Monty, but hearing how he’d helped Tyler put the reality into a harsh perspective.

“Charlie….I’m sorry…”

“Look, just tell me why you’re so angry.”

“It’s Luke, okay?! He asks me to tutor him, just so he and his friends can hurt me at every turn. He doesn’t want my help, he’s just a stupid asshole jock. Like all the other jocks.” Robby sighed deeply, earning a nod from Charlie.

“Robby, he doesn’t want to use you. He really is struggling, and he doesn’t know what to do. I promise you that he’s not bad. He’s just…..bad at understanding people. But he has a good heart.” Charlie smiled softly, still slightly hurt but he was beginning to understand the reason Robby was so angry.

“How do you know that?”

“I just do. Will you give him a chance? I know you’re scared, but I promise it’ll be okay. You just have to have faith in people.” Even though he was still nervous, Robby nodded at the voice of reason standing in front of him.

“Charlie. I am truly sorry, for what I said. I know you don’t want to hurt Alex, it’s just…..I know what it feels like to be used.” Robby cast his eyes to the floor again, his fringe blocking his view.

“Robby, I think you need to speak to the counsellor. I know why you judge the jocks, but you need to speak to someone about it. You can get through this, it will be really hard but I know you can. Just take it easy, alright?” Charlie patted his shoulder and smiled softly before walking away, leaving Robby with a lot to consider. Whilst he still wanted to apologise to Charlie for his outburst, Charlie’s kindness had overruled the situation, and left him feeling strangely empowered.

The school bell rang as Robby stood in the hall contemplating his next move. Looking around at the students filling out of their classes, he spotted a familiar blonde head and walked over, trying to keep in line with the large man’s steps.

“Luke?”

“Oh. Hey. Look I’m sorry if I stepped over the line-“

“I’ll do it!”

“Huh?”

“I’ll tutor you. But don’t expect it to be easy. We’ll put some knowledge in that empty head of yours yet.” Robby smiled shyly as he walked off, leaving Luke smirking in the background. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hated making Robby shout at Charlie but I hope you can understand it was necessary for this bit!


	3. Making Amends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hola! Hello lovely readers, I hope you’re enjoying the story! We had a really sad chapter before, so this one will be much fluffier as I need to break the tension here, and also explain what happened to Robby at some point, but that might be a bit later in the story! For now we’re going back to Luke’s perspective and how will he communicate with Robby? Have fun! 😊

After being rejected and accepted in the same day, Luke was feeling confused but relieved at his future prospects. He’d spent the entire school day thinking he’d done something wrong for Robby to swear at him and run away, to have the boy give him a green light for their future tutoring sessions. Robby was a mystery, that was certain. But at least Luke didn’t have to worry about his grades, he had some support, the support was reluctant but at least it was there. After watching Robby run away, he headed outside and sat on a bench, waiting for Diego’s class to end. He was still a little shocked at Robby’s change of heart, but it was a weight off his shoulders.

“Luke! Hey, you wanna get coffee?” Diego walked out, with Jessica on his arm. Luke sighed to himself. Another day he’d have to spend as a third wheel or on his own, and he decided to opt for the latter.

“Actually, I have to get home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Luke waved and made his way towards his house. He didn’t want to go home straight away, so he took the longest way home, past the park. As he walked past, he saw a boy sprawled out on a blanket, reading a book. A familiar boy, that had potentially made his life easier, but also made it difficult. He wasn’t sure how to approach him without making him uncomfortable again, so he leaned on the fence by the park.

“Hey, thanks for helping me out.” Luke said softly, making Robby put down his book and sit up, looking over his shoulder.

“Uh, it’s okay…” he said softly, packing up his blanket.

“Oh I didn’t mean to disturb you. You look like you’re enjoying that book.” Luke moved from the fence as Robby paused to put his blanket back on the grass.

“Yeah, I’ve nearly finished it though. Do you want to sit?” Robby asked cautiously, sitting cross-legged. Luke raised an eyebrow but nodded as he walked over, taking up most of the space on the tartan blanket as he sat down.

“So, why did you agree to tutor me? I thought you hated me or something…”

“Hated you?”

“When I asked, you were really angry. I thought I’d hurt you or something by asking..” Luke picked a blade of grass and stared at it, trying not to make eye contact with Robby. Most of the time he had little regard for people’s feelings, but he was getting better at learning to care about people, and he never wanted to hurt anyone.

“I thought it was a joke. I thought you just……wanted to hurt me..”

“Why would I want to hurt you?”

“Because! That’s what all jocks do. Push me and hurt me and….” Robby gulped and looked away, but Luke didn’t understand his meaning.

“And what? What do jocks do to you? Robby?” Luke pushed and wouldn’t let Robby have any space to breathe, but he didn’t fully understand how to be sympathetic just yet. But his prodding made Robby begin to pant, as he had previously when speaking to Charlie. He gripped the grass and closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. Luke watched curiously, feeling guilty but still refusing to give up.

“Robby?”

“Just stop! Stop….” Robby rocked gently, still holding the grass tightly. Whilst he wasn’t getting flashbacks, Luke’s prodding was too intrusive. He looked up at him, his eyes filled with tears.

“You know what they did to me……”

“What?!”

“You were there…”

“What the fuck are you talking about?!”

“I heard your name….in the shower…..when they…”

“When they what?!”

“WHEN THEY RAPED ME!” Robby panted, tears spilling down his face. Luke’s eyes widened and he covered his mouth in shock. Robby covered his face as he sobbed into his hands, hunching into a ball. Luke breathed heavily and moved closer, taking Robby’s wrists away from his face.

“Robby. Listen to me carefully. What did they say, exactly?”

“T-They said…..W-We need….more……” Robby sobbed, struggling to speak.

“I’ve got you. Tell me.”

“They said we need more force. Holliday, pass me the baseball bat.” Robby finished, still crying. Luke winced and felt his heart racing, in panic.

“Why didn’t you stop them…”

“I’m going to kill him…”

“Huh?”

“He let them do that to you….Robby…..I’m so sorry.” Luke sniffled, still holding Robby’s wrists tightly. It was to keep himself anchored now, instead of stopping him hiding his face. Robby frowned and pulled one of his arms free, wiping his eyes.

“What are you talking about?”

“My brother let them rape you….he helped them….” Luke stuttered, gripping Robby’s arm for life. He wanted to cry and scream, but many emotions overwhelmed him and kept him frozen in sheer shock. Robby on the other hand, was even more surprised at Luke’s admission.

“You…..you weren’t there?”

“Of course I wasn’t! You think I’d let that happen?!” Luke growled angrily, turning into a mess whilst Robby regained his composure.

“Luke…”

“I’M GOING TO FUCKING KILL HIM!”

“Luke, shut up. This isn’t about you. I knew you weren’t like them…..like Monty and Bryce…”

“But my brother!”

“He didn’t do it to me, he just….helped.”

“That doesn’t make it better! Robby, I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’m so sorry….” Luke turned away and tried to swallow back his tears. The anger he felt at his brother was unlike any rage he’d ever felt before, and he feared he’d have to go home without punching him. He needed to tell someone, but he wanted to respect Robby’s privacy. As he blinked back tears, Robby scooted over to him and smiled softly.

“Luke?”

“Hm?”

“You okay?”

“Me?! You’re asking if I’m okay? You’re the one that got hurt! Are you okay?” Luke turned back to face him and was met with a soft smile.

“I’m okay. It helped….to talk about it. But please don’t tell anyone. Not…until I’m ready. Please?” It would be difficult for Luke to hold his tongue around his family, but he nodded and let Robby direct him however he wanted.

“I don’t want it to control me all the time. I want to focus on other things. So…should we make a schedule for tutoring? What’s your phone number?” Luke listened to Robby immediately change the subject and exchanged numbers with him to do the future sessions.

“Robby?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for helping. I won’t tell anyone, but promise me that when the time comes, you’ll let me help you.”

“I’ll help you with your grades, if you help me with….that. You’re good to talk to…”

“So I’m not a big scary guy?”

“You’re a teddy bear.” Robby smirked as Luke threw a book at him.

“Shut up!”


	4. Tutoring and Pizza

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! Wow, I have to say I didn’t expect such an overwhelming response to this story, and want to say thank you so much to everyone who’s reading and enjoying this! I’m going back to Robby’s perspective now, and the slow burn is killing me but I will give Luke some romance soon! 😉

As soon as Robby and Luke had sorted a study routine, Robby began to feel at ease around the taller man. The days were hard, trying to get Luke to pay attention and make an effort with his assignments, but bribing him with chocolate seemed to work. A week after their sessions had started, Robby sat in the library surrounded by books as he encouraged Luke to write.

“This is so boring…” Luke whined, burying his face in a large book. He emerged coughing, inhaling too much dust.

“Luke, come on. You’re nearly done.”

“But it’s so hard....”

“It’s not. Look remember this part?” Robby picked up the book and gave Luke clear, concise instructions. Even though he was bored and the work was still difficult, it was easier to follow when Robby explained. He was better than the professor, because he gave him time to figure out the questions. It was comforting to have someone work with him, rather than pick on him and shout if he got something wrong. Picking up his pen, he listened to Robby and made some notes, trying to plan out the last 200 words of his assignment. Robby watched him scribbling and smiled softly, before his phone vibrated. He picked it up and left Luke to write on his own for a moment.

_Hey Robby! Do you want to get pizza after your study thing? Luke must be annoying you by now, huh?- Tyler x_

Reading Tyler’s text made Robby frown a little, but he knew it wasn’t meant maliciously. Tyler knew his disregard for jocks, but he was surprised at how normal it felt tutoring Luke. They didn’t share any awkward silences, and if they had a break Luke would speak and fill the dialogue. He was a good student, not that he’d ever tell him. As he started to text back, he bit his lip and decided to tell Tyler the truth.

_I’d love to get pizza. But Luke’s actually not that annoying. - Robby x_

_Really? Well I’ll go get the pizza, meet me in ten minutes outside Liberty. -Tyler x_

Robby put his phone back in his pocket and sat down beside Luke. Luke held up his paper and smiled widely.

“Finished!”

“That was fast. Told you it wasn’t hard.” Robby had a quick read through the paper and smiled, surprised at the content. Luke was definitely improving, but it was down to the professor to make the final judgement.

“Uh, good job. Is there anything else you wanted to work on? I don’t have much time though, I’m seeing Tyler in a bit.” He said, handing the paper back to him.

“Ah no, that’s the only assignment I had. I have to go to practice.” Luke smiled and packed his equipment back into his bag. Robby nodded and stood up, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

“Um….I guess I’ll see you at our next session then?”

“Robby?”

“Hm?”

“Do….do you want to hang out after practice?”

“To study?”

“Uh…..I meant like….just hang out like friends…” Luke tripped over his words, actually feeling shy for once. It made Robby smile softly as he picked up his own bag.

“Sure. I’m getting pizza with Tyler, so we’ll save some.” Robby grinned and held his bag straps, but Luke shook his head.

“I’m getting too fat as it is. Thanks though.”

“You’re not fat. You have a really toned body.” Robby felt his cheeks heating up as he spoke, and he hurried off with a pink blush before Luke could reply. Walking down the hall, he saw Alex heading towards the doors.

“Alex!”

“Oh hey Robby. What’s up?”

“Tyler is getting pizza. Do you want to join us?”

“I’d love to, but I’m watching Charlie’s practice game. Can we eat it while watching?” Alex grinned as he headed to the field with Robby in tow. As they sat down together, Robby pulled out his phone again and called Tyler.

“Hey man! I’m with Alex, he wants to watch Charlie’s practice game, can you bring the pizza to the field? Okay, awesome!” Robby hung up as Tyler agreed to meet both boys by the field. Alex stretched his legs in the stand and smiled at Robby.

“Do you like football?”

“No. It’s not really my thing…”

“Me either. But I have to support Charlie, so…”

“Alex?”

“When did you realize that you liked Charlie…?” Robby looked around, desperate for Tyler to arrive soon.

“Uh….i’m not sure. I mean, I was a real asshole to him at first. But he was really persistent, and I just….kinda fell for him? I don’t know…” Alex chuckled and looked at the shorter man.

“And…..you’re happy together?”

“Very. Why do you ask?”

“Just…..curious…”

“Hmm. Do you like someone?”

“Huh? No!” Clutching the wooden seat in front of him, Robby couldn’t meet Alex’s eyes.

“If you have a crush on Charlie, I don’t mind. But don’t get any ideas.” Alex grinned and poked his ribs.

“No! Hell no. No I was just curious because…..don’t you get a lot of shit for being guys?”

“Yeah, but that’s Liberty for you. Not everyone is so messed up, and if you fall for someone then fuck the labels.” Shrugging, Alex watched as the players ran out onto the field. Robby nodded thoughtfully and Alex’s words resonated in his head.

_If you fall for someone, fuck the labels._

“Hey guys! Salvation has arrived!” Tyler’s voice boomed from the aisle as he headed towards Alex and Robby, carrying various pizza boxes.

“Oh yeah! You’re the best Tyler.” Alex beamed and took a box as Tyler squeezed in between him and Robby.

“So, why are we sitting watching a bunch of guys kick a ball around?” Tyler asked, passing Robby some pizza.

“Charlie.” Alex replied with a smile, tucking into a slice of pepperoni. Tyler nodded and looked at Robby who was staring into space. Or rather, looked like he was staring into space. His eyes were actually fixed on the field. Charlie, Luke and Diego were standing together as they warmed up, following Coach Kerba’s instructions. As Charlie stretched, he smiled as he saw Alex watching in the wings. He excused himself for a moment and ran over, grinning.

“Hey, do I get any pizza?” Charlie giggled and tried to snatch some from Alex. Alex held the box out of reach and laughed.

“No! Hurry up with your boring game so we can go.” Alex smiled and was met with a playful swipe from his boyfriend. Charlie looked at Tyler with a smile, then his attention turned to Robby.

“Hey Robby. You okay?” He said softly, wondering how he’d been since their last chat. Robby flinched slightly, but nodded in response. He had apologized many times, but he still felt guilty about hurting him. But Charlie didn’t hold any grudges, he simply smiled and gestured to the men on the field.

“Luke will be happy that you’re here. I’ll catch you guys later!” Charlie ran off and joined his teammates, leaving Alex with one eyebrow raised in Robby’s direction.

“I thought you hated Luke?”

“No! Why does everyone think that? He’s actually an okay guy…” Robby bit his lip and looked away, meeting the eyes of a tall blonde on the field. He felt the familiar pink blush staining his cheeks again as Luke smiled widely and waved at him, not realizing the implications of his actions. Alex and Tyler looked at each other with a smirk, but decided not to tease Robby. As the practice game began, the three boys in the wings ate their pizza and tried to feign interest, but ended up chatting and paying little attention to the game. The practice lasted for an hour, and Tyler had to go to work before the players finished. After Tyler left, Charlie bounded up to Alex and picked him, giving him a big kiss and hug before getting hit on the head with a pizza box. Alex said goodbye to Robby and headed off with Charlie, the other players also dispersing from the pitch. Luke saw Robby sitting nervously on his own and bounded over, still smiling.

“Did your friends ditch you?” Luke asked as he played with the football. Robby smirked and crossed his arms.

“No. I was waiting for you. Don’t you remember, you asked me to hang out?”

“Yeah! I’m glad you didn’t change your mind.”

“Why would I? I saved you some as well.” Robby passed him the pizza box, and true to his word he had saved half a pizza for him.

“Told you, I’m trying to lose weight.”

“You were serious? Have you looked in a mirror lately?”

“The scales tell me all I need to know.”

“Then you’re an asshole. It’s muscle. Half the jocks would probably give anything to have a body like yours.” Robby bit his tongue and looked down again at the seat in front of him. Luke smiled and leaned forward, spinning the football in his hand.

“I know. I just like hearing you compliment me.” Luke laughed as Robby threw an empty box at his head.

“Dick!”

“Come on, let’s go to your house.” Luke smiled as Robby jumped down. He ruffled the smaller man’s hair, and received a hard kick in the shin. But nothing would shift the huge grin on his face.


	5. Almost is never enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey there again! I’m on a roll with this story, it’s just so fun to explore and I hope you’re enjoying it too! I’m going back to Luke’s POV, and it took me some time to work out what to put here! But with some guidance from an amazing friend I have made this! Enjoy!

Directly after practice, Luke accompanied Robby back to his house. They’d studied there a few times before, but both of them preferred the library as they had more books to hand. But Luke enjoyed getting away from his own home, the atmosphere was still tense with his parents constantly pestering him. He hadn’t even seen his brother since Robby told him what happened, he was actively avoiding every member of his household. It was a relief when he walked inside Robby’s house and kicked his shoes off, placing them beside the rug in the hallway. Robby jumped on his sofa and waved for Luke to come over. Luke joined him and looked around the room, his eyebrows raised.

“Are your parents out?”

“My dad is working. My mom is hanging out with one of her friends. They’ll be home late, they always are.” Robby shrugged, picking up a cushion and hugging it.

“I wish my parents were always out.”

“Are they still giving you a hard time?”

“Yeah. My dad is worse, he won’t stand for anything but the best. He pisses me off.”

“Maybe…..talk to him?”

“He’s already angry at me though, even before the grades. He’s…..”

“Hm?”

“Homophobic.”

“Oh…..shit. I’m sorry Luke. Well if you need to get away from there….you can always stay here…” Robby hugged his cushion tighter, looking at the floor.

“Won’t your parents think it’s weird?”

“I mean…..we have a spare bedroom since my sister moved out. It’s just if you have a really bad day, you should have some kind of safe space to go to…”

“Diego sometimes lets me crash at his house. But he’s always with Jessica.” Luke looked down sadly, jogging his knee slightly. Robby bit his lip and pushed a cushion towards him.

“You’re always welcome here, Luke. My parents really don’t mind.”

“And you?”

“Me?”

“Surely you’re sick of me by now?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?!” Robby jumped at the anger in his voice and make Luke smile.

“Because I’m boring, apparently. Or at least, Diego thinks so.”

“You’re not boring. And I highly doubt that Diego has the most interesting conversations.” Robby shrugged and Luke laughed loudly, leaning back on the sofa.

“Well, I’m glad you think I’m okay. Let’s watch a movie!” Luke jumped off the sofa and rummaged through the DVD stand next to the TV. Robby watched him curiously, still hugging the cushion tightly. As he looked through some different titles, he grinned and turned to look at Robby.

“You have an interesting mix here. The Exorcist, and The Little Mermaid?”

“The scary stuff is my dad’s. And…..so what if I like Disney…”

“I love Disney! Let’s watch this one.” Luke picked up The Lion King and inserted the disk into the tray, bounding back to the sofa. Even though his broad frame took up most of the seat, Robby hugged his own legs close and nestled into the cushion as the movie started playing. Luke sprawled over the sofa, making Robby poke his feet in annoyance, but he just smiled at him. After the movie had been on for around half an hour, Robby was getting lost in the natural comfort of the atmosphere. It was really quiet and peaceful, until Luke’s sniffling filled the room. Looking at him, Robby burst into laughter.

“Luke…..what are you doing?”

“I hate this part…” Luke wiped his eyes as Robby looked back the screen. As the scene started, Robby stifled his giggles as he realised why Luke was crying.

_Simba….run away and never return…_

“Does Mufasa’s death make you sad?”

“Doesn’t it make you sad?! Simba is so small….and he’s so alone..” Luke grabbed a tissue and wiped his eyes again, causing Robby to bury his head in his cushion and silence his laughter. When he emerged, Luke still had sadness plastered across his face.

“A fictional lion makes you cry?”

“HE’S ALL ALONE, ROBBY!”

“Okay, I’m sorry! You’re such a mush, you know?”

“I’m not!”

“You’re crying at The Lion King…”

“Shut up.” Luke crossed his arms and looked away, trying to put on a hard stance but Robby had already seen him cry. Robby smiled and edged over, hitting him playfully with the cushion he’d been hugging.

“Mush!” Robby grinned as Luke hit him back with another cushion.

“I’m not a mush! You’re…..you’re just a little munchkin anyway!”

“Mean!”

“Munchkin!”

“Mush!” Luke and Robby starting hitting each other with more cushions, playfighting as the film rolled on in the background. When they started hitting with greater intensity, Robby gasped as his cushion burst into feathers, raining down on the rug.

“Oh shit…” Luke bit his lip, but Robby rolled on the sofa laughing. Realizing that it was okay, Luke smiled and leaned back, looking at him.

“Robby?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for letting me come over. It’s really nice to just….hang with a friend..”

“Are you lonely or something?” Robby sat closer to him, resting his head on the sofa. Luke ran a hand through his hair and sighed deeply, looking him in the eyes.

“Ever since Charlie and Diego started their relationships, they don’t really have time to hang anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really happy for them both. But I just….I just miss it so much.” Hearing Luke speak so honestly and openly made Robby feel the unwelcome pink blush hit his cheeks again, and he was filled with empathy for him. He knew loneliness all too well, and whilst he had no idea how a popular jock could be lonely, he wanted to be kind. Moving closer, he laid in Luke’s lap, facing the TV. He didn’t say a word, and continued to watch the movie, even though they’d missed a large portion due to their earlier antics.

Luke jumped a little when he felt Robby’s light head nestle into his lap, but he didn’t move him. Instead he looked down at the brown fluffy head that was trained on the TV, not speaking a single word to him. It was a silent affirmation, that he now had a new friend that he could rely on. But even as he stared down at the smaller man, he was filled with a strange overprotective urge. Robby was trusting him enough to let him stay laying there in his lap, and even looked comfortable in Luke’s embrace. Unsure of how to react, Luke swallowed gently and moved so the two of them were in a comfortable position. He placed a cushion under Robby’s head and heard him sigh gratefully, the uncomfortable position slightly altered by the softness. As Robby watched the film, Luke could hear his heartbeat slowing and relaxing against him, clearly he was feeling peaceful. Although Luke wasn’t sure if he was acting out on impulse or genuine care, he reached out and gently placed his hand on Robby’s head. Expecting the younger man to flinch, Luke was shocked again when Robby sighed comfortably. Unbeknown to Luke, Robby had fallen asleep in his lap, his light snores now indicating this to him.

“Robby?” Luke said softly, running his hand through Robby’s extremely soft brown locks. He got no response, other than Robby’s light snores. Luke chuckled to himself and continued to gently stroke his head, his eyes returning to the movie. But he found no interest in the film anymore, and instead grabbed a blanket from underneath the sofa. He draped it around Robby and himself, taking care not to wake the sleeping man. Leaning back, he closed his eyes and soon drifted off, hand still entwined in Robby’s hair. In his sleep, he bit his lip.

_Something is changing._


	6. Just a game?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! All of your comments and views spur me to write more of this couple, and I know they barely spoke to each other in the show but they are two of my absolute favourites so I hope you love them together as much as I do! Again, I don’t usually write slowburn but I think it’s best because Robby is so shy and he needs a happy ending! We’re hitting a slight angst here, but this is also a super fluffy chapter! Have fun! 
> 
> OH and also, the song at the end of this is Heart By Heart, by Demi Lovato. It's a great song for this moment, you might wanna listen but only a suggestion! :)

A month into their friendship, Luke and Robby found themselves spending almost every waking and sleeping moment together. Luke made a good pillow, and Robby forgot the first awkward time he’d fallen asleep on him. It was second nature for them to walk home together, usually to Robby’s house, but occasionally Monet’s or a diner. Luke was still acting frosty around his family, but the tension was almost gone, due to his dad being happy with his rising grades. His mother also let him sleep over at Robby’s a lot, she was happy as long as she knew where he was. Despite his hatred of jocks, Robby couldn’t help smile at his growing friendship with the gentle giant. However, it was the friendship that could start the beginning of the end.

One sunny Friday afternoon, Liberty was unusually serene. As the bell rang for lunch, Robby and Tyler made their way towards the cafeteria with Alex running to catch up.

“Hey you guys! Are you coming to Charlie’s tonight?”

“What’s happening at Charlie’s?”

“Oh, he was probably planning to tell you at lunch. He’s having a sleepover tonight, it’s not a huge party or anything. As far as I know he’s invited me, Diego, Jessica and Luke. Oh and you two of course.”

“Oh, can I bring Estela?” Tyler smiled as he sat down, cleaning his camera. Robby got his lunch out and nibbled his lip nervously at Alex’s invitation.

“I don’t see why not! Ask Charlie when he gets here.” Alex smiled and started eating his lunch. Tyler turned to Robby.

“Are you going to go?”

“Uh…..”

“Luke’s going.” Alex looked up, exchanging a strange look with Tyler.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing…”

“Oh my god Alex, just tell him. This is cruel.” Tyler piped up. Robby frowned at both of them as he stopped eating for a moment.

“Okay, okay! But Charlie will kill me if you tell anyone, so please just keep quiet?” Alex lowered his voice and looked around the cafeteria, before his eyes focused on Robby.

“What the fuck is going on?”

“Apparently, all Luke talks about is you. He says you’re like the best tutor ever and stuff.”

“Well….he’s just being grateful?”

“No Charlie said…..Luke is constantly talking about you. Like….ALL the time.” Alex tried to hint, but Robby wasn’t going to give in so easily.

“Pffft. Yeah, right. Like Luke would ever even glance in my direction…..” Robby choked on his drink when Tyler grinned widely.

“So you want him to look in your direction?”

“NO. T-That’s not what I meant!” Robby felt his entire face turn red, right to the tips of his ears.

“It’s not like it’s one-sided. You talk about him all the time as well.”

“I do not!”

“Alex, am I wrong? Do we know more about Luke’s life than we did before? Do we know how warm and cuddly he is, or is that my imagination?” Tyler and Alex smiled at each other, whilst Robby looked away from their smug faces.

“Please…..I don’t like him! I m-mean I like him but I don’t…..” Robby stuttered madly, covering his face. Alex smiled widely as he ate a chip, throwing one in Robby’s direction.

“We won’t tell. But I think it’s adorable. Even if Luke is a big ugly jock.”

“Don’t say that! H-He’s not!”

“Oh my god Robby, you’re so fucking adorable. I was joking, he’s not ugly but definitely not for me.”

“Nah, you already have the golden-haired vision of beauty, no?” Tyler grinned and threw a packet of crisps at Alex. As the three of them returned to eating their lunch, the other students starting filling into the cafeteria. Luke, Diego and Charlie joined the other three boys, with Luke sitting beside Robby, oblivious to the looks Tyler and Alex shot them. Charlie put his arm around Alex and smiled at everyone around the table.

“So, Tyler, Robby, you guys coming to my house tonight?”

“I’m in! As long as it’s not a party.” Tyler smiled as Charlie shook his head.

“No, I just wanted a get-together. It’s been ages since we’ve all hung out. Robby, you in?”

“Ummmm…”

“Pleeease?” Luke turned to him, putting his hands together in a begging motion. Robby rolled his eyes at Luke’s gesture and smiled softly at Charlie.

“Yeah, I’ll come.” He kicked Luke lightly under the table as the taller man punched the air in triumph. The usual buzz of conversation hummed throughout the lunch hour, and as the lessons loomed closer, everyone said their farewells and got details from Charlie about their get-together that evening. As Robby walked alongside Luke, he turned to him with a small smile.

“Hey, I was saving this because I knew you’d complain in front of Diego.” Robby held out a chocolate bar, earning a squeal from Luke.

“You got me chocolate?!”

“Because you finished your last assignment on time. Well done.” Robby smiled shyly, holding onto his bag straps. Luke smiled widely and resisted the urge to hug him.

“Thank you! You’re the best! See you later for Charlie’s thing!” Luke ruffled Robby’s hair quickly before darting into his classroom. As he continued down the hall to his own class, Robby could still feel Luke’s hand through his hair. He shivered slightly and ran into class, trying to stop daydreaming.

***

That same evening, Robby found himself perched in front of his mirror trying to sort his crazy mass of hair after his shower. He couldn’t get it to sit correctly, so he shrugged and threw on a shirt and jeans, trying to stop his anxiety flaring. He knew nothing bad would happen under Charlie’s watch, but he was worried about his ever-growing feelings for someone. The sound of knocking soon brought him back to reality, and he answered the door.

“Hey Robby! Shall we go?” Tyler beamed, holding a large bag of overnight clothes. Making their way to Charlie’s house, Robby turned to Tyler as he chewed his lip.

“Ty?”

“Yeah?”

“Charlie’s thing…..it’s not going to get out of control right?”

“Oh no way! He’s really responsible, and everyone will probably just chill. There might be some games…”

“Games?”

“Like……truth or dare?” Tyler ran ahead, leaving Robby chasing after him with a worried look. He’d chewed his bottom lip so hard it was almost bleeding, but hearing Tyler’s words didn’t reassure him in the slightest.

When they arrived at Charlie’s house, Charlie had decorated with some LED lights and made his living room into a cosy little den for everyone. It was a very calming atmosphere, with all couples sitting on each other’s laps and cuddling amongst fluffy pillows and blankets. As Robby and Tyler sat down, Charlie offered drinks and everyone started light, just with simple spirits or soft drinks. Charlie made it very clear that alcohol was to be drunk sensibly, or people would be kicked out. Sipping a gin and lemonade that Charlie had watered down for him, Robby sat cross-legged in the circle that had formed. Jessica swung her legs down over Diego’s lap and looked at everyone.

“Okay, so who’s up for a game of truth or dare?” She asked, smirking. Everyone in the circle nodded, and whilst they had agreed to play, Alex and Robby looked at each other whilst rolling their eyes.

“Okay, I will start. Charlie, truth or dare?” Jessica asked.

“Truth.”

“How many people have you kissed?”

“Two.” Charlie felt Alex’s eyes slightly fixed on him, and he continued his sentence. “The first kiss I had was a girl called Jenny. I had a brief relationship with her. The second person is a bit obvious…” he grinned as Alex rolled his eyes again.

“Okay, my turn.” Charlie looked around the circle and focused on Tyler.

“Tyler, truth or dare?”

“Ah, dare. Go on.”

“I dare you to….put as many of these marshmallows in your mouth as possible.” Charlie pushed a bag of marshmallows towards him with a smirk. Everyone watched Tyler struggle to fit multiple marshmallows in his mouth, and when he reached around 20, he had to stop. Everyone giggled as he recovered and he looked at Alex.

“Alex, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“Who’s a better kisser, Charlie or Jessica?” Tyler grinned evilly and Alex threw a pillow at him.

“Well…..I’m sorry Jess…” Alex covered his face as Jessica threw a bag of gummy bears at him but smiled sweetly.

“Okay okay! I have one. Luke, truth or dare?” Alex looked at him, opening the bag of sweets that Jessica had thrown.

“Truth, because I know you’ll make me do something stupid.” Luke smiled.

“Fine! Okay, do you have a crush on someone, in this circle?” Alex leaned back against Charlie and grinned like a cat. Tyler covered his shocked face, whilst Diego giggled. Luke’s face went from shocked to blank in seconds, hiding himself well.

“Maybe I do. But I’ll tell you one thing, it’s not you Alex.”

“Alex you’re awful!” Tyler threw a pillow at him, starting to laugh along with Diego. Robby frowned at them, shifting uncomfortably.

“I’m getting another drink. Anyone want one?” Luke got up and went to the kitchen, mixing random spirits together. Alex threw a gummy bear at Robby and as he caught it, he scowled at him.

“Did you have to make him so uncomfortable?” Robby frowned.

“What? He could’ve lied.”

“But he didn’t. Now he’s sad because he had to admit that. Most of you are already couples, so won’t he feel really awkward now?”

“Why?”

“Because he has a crush on one of you!” As Robby spoke, Luke returned and sat in the circle drinking his unknown drink.

“Luke, I’m sorry if I upset you, I was just playing the game.” Alex apologised.

“Oh no, it’s all good! Can we play a different game though, this is getting boring.” Luke smiled and Charlie nodded, watching as Jessica picked up an empty lemonade bottle.

“Anyone for spin the bottle?” she asked.

“Only if we can do cheek kissing, I’m not kissing someone when I’m in a relationship.” Charlie smiled softly as he held Alex closer to him.

“Yeah we can. But you can choose. Cheek or lips, its your decision.” Jessica declared, placing the bottle on the floor. She spun first, and the bottle pointed in Tyler’s direction. As they kissed each other lightly on the cheek, Jessica gave him a warm smile. She’d become better friends with him since the assembly, and was genuinely happy to see his progression.

After a few rounds of soft cheek kisses, everyone started drinking more. Nobody was drunk, but the atmosphere calmed even more, everyone leaned on each other and snuggled up in blankets. Diego span next, and when landing on Jessica everyone fake gagged as they made out. Charlie found himself in a similar situation when he landed on Alex, only Luke and Diego squealed happily when they kissed. Charlie smirked and pushed the bottle to Luke, whispering something quiet in Alex’s ear. Alex grinned at the comment and sipped his drink, watching as Luke span the bottle. 

A few seconds passed as the bottle scraped across the hardwood floor, eventually landing on Robby sitting beside him. Silence fell across the circle as Robby and Luke looked at each other awkwardly, aware that everyone was staring at them expectantly. Tyler gave Robby a reassuring smile, but it didn’t really help. Robby’s stomach was knotting, and he knew that Luke could see the blush across his cheeks. When Luke leaned forward to kiss his cheek, he prayed that he couldn’t feel the heat radiating from his face. Both of them left a very light kiss on the other’s cheek, then lingered for a second. Robby blinked as he noticed Luke’s dark green eyes staring straight into his own hazel ones. Even though they’d already fulfilled the bottle’s request, they stayed frozen in a moment, close to the other’s head. Maybe it was the alcohol, or at the atmosphere, or the built up tension that the game had created, but Luke gently placed his hand on Robby’s neck and pulled him a little closer, until they were almost touching noses. Suspended in one moment, Robby felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. Only a few seconds passed until he felt Luke’s lips against his own, soft and warm. With Luke’s hand still on his neck, Robby moved his own hand to Luke’s face and spread his palm over his cheek, feeling a familiar warmth that was still plastered on his own cheeks. They held each other, sharing a very slow, very meaningful kiss.

_When your soul finds the soul it was waiting for_

_When someone walks into your heart through an open door_

_When your hand finds the hand it was meant to hold_

_Don't let go_

_Someone comes into your world_

_Suddenly your world has changed forever_


	7. It's not so easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonjour! I am back again 😊 However, my Uni work is starting to pile up so I might have to do less chapters in a day! I have to say I love writing this though, this ship may not be canon but I will go down with it, so help me! There will be a fair bit of angst though as our couple tries to find their way to each other. But I can promise you a happy ending will be in sight! Enjoy! Also, the POV’s tend to change a bit when I start writing, this is kind of Luke’s view though, with a side of Robby’s.

In one night, Alex had managed to get a confession out of Luke, and the games everyone had played had made quite a scene for the group. Watching Luke and Robby kissing, Tyler shot Alex a look as if to say “did you know this would happen?” but Alex simply returned his gaze with a smirk. Charlie and Diego looked at each other with gooey eyes, stooping themselves from squealing out loud. But they knew it wasn’t the time or the place, so they refrained from making any noises or comments. Alex’s urge to say “I told you so” was overwhelming, but he too just watched quietly as the two men opposite pulled apart.

Luke detached himself from Robby, and sat awkwardly staring at everyone else. He still felt surprised at his own bold actions, and as he ran his hand through his hair he couldn’t look at the man sitting next to him, who was equally flustered. Luckily, Tyler broke the awkward silence.

“H-Hey guys! Let’s stop this game, huh? Let’s put a movie on, I’m exhausted.” Tyler set up his bed and laid down facing the TV. Everyone else nodded and set up their own beds, cuddling up to their partners. Charlie put on a Disney movie, unaware of Luke’s emotional overload when he watched them. The excitement and stresses of the day soon began to set in, and as everyone started dozing off, Robby stroked the edge of one of the fluffy blankets.

“Still awake?” Luke’s voice startled him. Looking around the room, Luke noticed that everyone was asleep apart from one person.

“Y-Yeah…”

“Robby?”

“H-Hmm?”

“Do you hate me now?”

“Luke…”

“I’m just….I just….wanted…”

“To kiss me?”

“I don’t know…” Luke buried his face in his knees, overcome with emotion. It was the only time he’d felt vulnerable.

“Luke what’s wrong?”

“How do you always do that…? You’re always kind, and you always ask if I’m okay. Aren’t you upset? Aren’t you disgusted?”

“Why would I be disgusted?”

“You’re my friend…..and I just kissed you like that..”

“I’m not disgusted. Luke…you don’t think much of yourself do you?” Robby edged closer, draping a fluffy blanket around him. Luke looked down sadly, shaking his head. Robby sat in his lap and held the blanket around both of them, nestling against him. Watching Robby show his silent affection again made Luke feel at ease, and he instinctively wrapped his arms around him. He looked down at his head and ran a hand through his hair, feeling the smaller man shiver.

“Do you have a thing about my hair or something?” Robby looked up, narrowing his eyes a little.

“O-Oh sorry. It’s really cute. Like you….I m-mean..!” Luke blushed again, biting his lip a little as he saw Robby staring at him.

“Why are you looking at me?” Luke stared straight back into his striking brown eyes, met with a curious gaze.

“Because you’re really dumb.”

“Hey!” Luke moved to get a pillow but Robby grabbed his hand, stroking his palm gently. They sat silently for a moment, tracing each other’s fingers. Both of them could feel strange buzzes of electricity in the other’s hand every time their fingertips met. Luke’s other hand stroked through strands of Robby’s hair, slightly massaging his scalp. Robby purred gently, putting Luke’s hand on his neck again.

“Robby…..I…”

“Sshh.” Leaning forward, Robby silenced Luke with a kiss, groaning lightly when Luke ran both hands into his hair. Without anyone watching, Luke closed his eyes and held Robby closer, stroking the back of his head. He’d hated that their first kiss was ruined by a stupid game, but with Robby initiating the second one without anyone’s instruction, he felt his chest tighten. Even in their sitting position, Robby had to lean up and pull Luke down to him, wrapping his arms around his neck. He smiled against the smaller man’s lips and moved his arms to his waist, breaking away temporarily for breath. As he panted softly, Luke could see a beautiful pink blush creeping across Robby’s face, and he couldn’t help thinking that he looked adorably shy. When their lips met again for a third time, Luke held his waist gently and deepened the kiss, eliciting a small moan. He could feel Robby trembling in his arms, and soon after their kisses grew a little more frantic, he felt tears on the front of his shirt. Pulling away in alarm, Luke opened his eyes and looked at him, extremely concerned.

“Fuck. Robby, are you okay? Shit I’m so sorry!” Luke got a tissue and gently dabbed Robby’s eyes, feeling his hand gently tug his shirt.

“Luke….I can’t do this..”

“Did I hurt you?”

“N-No I just….It’s too much. Luke I’m sorry…” Robby climbed off him and went to his own bed, curling up. Luke looked at the floor, feeling a mixture of sadness and anger. He was so angry at himself for letting the kissing go too far, and sad thinking that he’d hurt Robby. The night was one of the worst he’d experienced in years as he curled up too.

***

When the weekend finished, everyone had strange reactions from Charlie’s get-together. The worst, was that Luke and Robby hadn’t spoken since the incident and Luke was starting to worry. He hadn’t told anyone what happened, but Charlie knew that something was up with him. His usual cheerful demeanour had faded into sadness, and the next morning he decided to tackle the issue. He walked to school with him as Luke slumped with each step.

“Luke, what’s wrong? I can tell you’re sad, but Diego said you’re ignoring him. Talk to me.”

“I can’t.”

“Was it that stupid game?”

“Charlie, please don’t.”

“Look, something must’ve happened. Please?”

“Charlie. Seriously. I don’t want to talk. It’s not like it’ll fix anything anyway. I’d need to go back in time for this to be fixed.”

“Luke, if this is about Robby I completely get it. Things weren’t exactly easy with Alex and I.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t push Alex too far.”

“Well, I kinda did. But what do you mean, pushed too far?”

“After…….everyone fell asleep….Robby and I….we kissed again. But he told me that he couldn’t do it….he was crying Charlie…”

“Luke, did you do something to him?”

“NO! How could you think I would?! You know how I feel about him.”

“Yeah, I do. I’m sorry, I had to ask. You really need to speak to him about it.”

“I can’t, he’s ignoring my calls and texts.”

“Go find him. He has English first period I think, Diego’s in that class.” As Charlie and Luke headed into the building, Luke had every intention of finding Robby and telling him everything. But his thoughts were interrupted as they entered Liberty. In front of them a huge fight was unfolding, it was unclear who was involved but they could see a letterman jacket punching people around him. Diego was hitting another guy wearing a Hillcrest jacket, and as he saw Luke and Charlie approaching he waved them over.

“You guys, these pricks tried to hurt Jessica and the other girls in HO!” He yelled, continuing the fight. Without little choice and wanting to defend the rights of their female students, Charlie and Luke joined in the fight, getting seriously injured in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made the fight happen because i have a scene in mind for Robby and Luke with Luke being beaten up for some reason, like physically beaten down as well as emotionally? I dont know but yeah!


	8. Be honest, be bold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! After the angst, I needed to do a healing and fluffy chapter, this one will be VERY fluffy so please do enjoy! I love writing this couple, if you have any ideas you’d like me to incorporate please do let me know as I’m open to suggestions! Love to you all!  
> Song used at the end is Scars to your beautiful- Alessia Cara! Sometimes I hear a song as I’m writing and it fits the part well so I hope you listen if you get a chance 😊

Using the whole weekend to occupy himself with study and ignorance, Robby didn’t think he could feel any worse as he trudged to Liberty on Monday morning. His phone had been overloaded with messages from Luke, and many missed calls. He didn’t want to ignore him, but he knew he could speak to him until that same evening, after he’d attended a crucial meeting. Robby had come to school an hour early, but it was for good reason. One, to avoid Luke, but it was definitely the second reason that was far more important. Stepping into Dr Singh’s office, he gently closed the door behind him and was met with her usual sweet smile.

“Good morning Robby. It’s great to see you again. How are you?” She asked, pushing her folders to one side of her desk to free her hands and beckon Robby towards the chair. They’d been having weekly counselling, but Robby hadn’t told anyone yet. As he sat in the chair he put his bag on the floor and nodded at her.

“I’m good thank you….and you?”

“I’m great, thank you for asking. Now Robby, what would you like to talk about today?”

“U-um…” Robby scratched his head awkwardly, staring at the name plate on her desk. Seeing his hesitation, Dr Singh continued to smile.

“Is there anything in particular that is troubling you?”

“Yes. So…It’s been two years since….the….incident..” Robby struggled.

“Yes, you’re right. Are you still getting the flashbacks?”

“Well…..they aren’t as intense as before. Sometimes….I can barely remember what happened.”

“Are you finding the positive visualisation techniques useful?”

“Yeah they still work. But….I’m not thinking about what I used to…”

“No?”

“I think about……a person…”

“Ahh. I see. Are you in a relationship?”

“I’m not really sure….”

“Tell me more about how you’re feeling now.”

“I feel confused….and nervous……but….it’s different when I’m with him…”

“How does he make you feel?”

“Safe…….secure……like nothing else matters when he’s there…”

“That’s really good that you’re feeling safe. But I can tell you’re still feeling anxious. Are you worried about intimacy?”

“Yes, and no. We kissed….and it got a bit….overwhelming. I’m not sure what I want….because of what happened before. I trusted someone, and he took advantage of me. But I’m sick of letting the past hurt me. And Luke…..Luke’s not like that…”

“Robby it’s okay to remember the past. But you’ve made so much progress. You are so strong, and you could do anything. If you could do anything in the world, what would you do?”

“I would tell Luke how I feel, and I would make love with him…..but I don’t feel confident enough to do either of those things yet. This is the closest I’ve felt to normal again. I didn’t feel scared when he kissed me, when he touched me. I wanted to….but I never thought I would…”

“Sweetheart it’s normal to start feeling sexual urges at your age. I know that you felt you never would, after what happened. But that just proves your strength, opening up to someone that you trust. I think you should speak to him, like you speak to me. It sounds like he returns your feelings.”

“I’m not sure about that. But I do….I do want to be with him. I’m just so scared that he’ll leave.”

“Sometimes we have to have faith in people. Do what you want to do Robby, you have every option right in the palm of your hands.” Dr Singh smiled widely and Robby nodded, chewing his lip slightly but he felt a sense of confidence at her words. Grabbing his bag, he smiled back at her.

“Thanks Dr Singh. See you next week.” He went to the door and sighed softly to himself as he stepped outside. Even though he felt happier after the session, his happiness soon turned to panic as he saw students brawling in the hallway. Various jackets indicated that Hillcrest were fighting against Liberty, and seeing this only made Robby more anxious. Spotting Charlie leaning against a locker holding his side, Robby dashed over quickly.

“Charlie?! What the fuck is going on?” Robby looked at him in shock. Charlie had multiple bruises on his face and judging by his pained groans, his side had taken a hard blow.

“I’m not really sure….we found Diego fighting these guys…”

“We?”

“Oh fuck. Luke…”

“Shit…” Robby jumped madly as Principal Bolan and Coach Kerba started pulling students off each other, threatening them with the authorities if they didn’t stop. Searching through the crowd, Robby felt his throat constricting as he couldn’t see any glimpse of the tall jock he was desperately trying to find. Frantically he ran down corridors and looked through classroom windows, but still couldn’t find any trace of the man.

Almost giving up hope of finding Luke, Robby headed back to the original brawl and saw students being carried off by police, paramedics and various teachers. As he headed back to Charlie, he heard groaning in a nearby science lab and peeked inside. Gasping he went inside and straight over to Luke. Luke was hunched over a lab stool, also clutching his side. His shirt was torn and bloodied, with scrapes all over his torso. On his face, a large purple bruise was starting to form under his cheekbone. When he saw his condition, Robby grabbed a towel and ran it under a tap, gently pressing it against Luke’s bruise. The taller man hissed in pain, but stopped panting so rapidly.

“Robby?”

“What the hell were you thinking?! Joining a random fight?!” Robby growled, pressing the towel a bit harder against his face. Luke winced in pain, but didn’t complain.

“I didn’t think I would get beat like this. My head is pounding…” Luke faced the floor, pushing Robby’s hand away from his face.

“Take these.” Robby handed him glass of water and two tablets, for the headache. Luke sighed and swallowed them, finishing the water as he did.

“Robby, I don’t want you here.”

“W-Why?”

“Can you just go, please?”

“Ha….you thought I hated you. Now you hate me.”

“I don’t! It’s just too painful to be around you.”

“I’m sorry that I ignored you okay? But I was dealing with stuff!”

“And I wasn’t? I thought we were friends!” Luke’s words made Robby flinch and turn away.

“We are friends….” He whispered softly.

“Clearly, we have different ideas of friendship.” Luke jumped down from the stool, but his pain kicked back in and he almost keeled over, his groans causing Robby to run over and steady him.

“Luke stop. You’re hurt…”

“Robby please! I’ll leave you alone, but that means you can’t help me either. You’re not my tutor anymore.”

“That’s not…”

“I will stop annoying you. But it’s too painful if you’re always around, trying to be kind to me. Let’s just cut this off, completely.”

“You do hate me…”

“I don’t hate you! I fucking like you okay? I like you so much! And that stupid game only made me realize how much I want to be with you. That’s why it hurts! Now please go!” Luke held on to the desk behind him but wobbled violently. He fell down on his back, accidently pulling Robby with him so he landed on top. It was a painful impact against his side, but he swallowed back a pained groan. Robby blinked and bit his lip, holding on to Luke’s torn shirt.

“I like you too Luke.”

“Yeah, as a friend.”

“No. I just spent an hour talking about you.”

“Huh?”

“To my goddamn therapist.” Robby and Luke sat up and leaned against the lab desk, staring at each other. Robby smiled softly and ducked his head a little.

“I told my therapist that I was finally happy. That I found someone who made me feel safe, and secure……and incredibly overwhelmed. Like…..when it’s raining so hard outside. Then you see the light appearing from the clouds. When you realize that little ray of hope is out there, and even on the darkest days you can rely on the sunshine. That’s how I feel about you.” Robby couldn’t quite meet Luke’s eyes as he spoke, but as he looked up his fringe fell into his eyes and his cheeks glowed magenta. Unsure of Luke’s reaction, Robby jumped again when he heard a familiar sniffling.

“Luke!” Robby exclaimed and got a tissue, wiping his eyes.

“Nobody has ever said anything like that to me before…” Luke was almost wailing, making Robby giggle.

“Mush.”

“Munchkin.”

“Now do you understand why I couldn’t kiss you before? I was just nervous…..that you didn’t feel the same way.”

“I do. Ever since we kissed I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re like….the kindest person I’ve ever met. You’re always looking after me, even when I tell you not to. You said I’m like sunshine, but if that’s true then you’re the rainbow, turning my dull world into beautiful colour.” Luke blushed too, smiling as Robby also wiped his own eyes.

“Then…..what’s the best way to settle this?”

“You have to ask?” Luke grinned his usual cheeky grin as he gently pulled Robby towards him, their lips meeting in a heartfelt and passionate kiss, the entire world fading away as they lost themselves in each other’s lips.

_There's a hope that's waiting for you in the dark_

_You should know you're beautiful just the way you are_

_And you don't have to change a thing, the world could change its heart_

_No scars to your beautiful, we're stars and we're beautiful_


	9. Trading Tricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I’m just slowly working through some stuff, but I am so happy I managed to get another chapter of this done! I cannot even say how much I love this couple, without even meaning to I was hooked hopelessly from the start! If any of you have any ideas for a non-canon couple you love, please share your opinion in the comments! I’d love to hear it! Also, please enjoy this chapter, it’s another one for the fluff addicts! Oh and using Dr Singh in the last chapter got some super comments and I wanted to say thanks again to you all! Muchos Kudos! OH and also also, this chapter has a little side order of Chalex :)

Dr Singh came into her office early on a Tuesday morning, placing all of her folders neatly on her desk. As he she stared out the window, she smiled as she saw a practice game of basketball taking place on the court, with one of the students she’d been most worried about in the past. It was a relief to see Liberty students having a nice time, rather than feeling scared and upset. The atmosphere had been awful, but the dusk seemed to be settling a little. Especially when she saw the look the two men gave each other. Chuckling to herself, she returned to her desk and started work for the day, wondering how the particular man was getting on.

Out on the court, Luke and Charlie were practising their basketball skills. They’d come early, as it was the only time the freshman team weren’t keeping the court for themselves. Whilst football usually took most of their time, they’d agreed to work on a different sport. Charlie bounced the ball and passed it to Luke, it was odd playing with just the two of them, but they didn’t mind. Charlie had also noticed that Luke had a spring in his step again.

“So, are you going to tell me what happened after I lost you in the fight?” Charlie asked, receiving the ball as Luke passed it back.

“Me? What happened to you? I know you didn’t get that from the fight, Charlie.” Luke grinned and gestured to the large purple bruise on Charlie’s collar.

“Yes I did!”

“Liar. I know what a love bite looks like. Alex has sharp teeth, huh?” Luke ducked as Charlie threw the ball at him with a little aggression.

“It’s not like that.”

“Nope. Of course it’s not.” Seeing the wide grin on Luke’s face made Charlie roll his eyes and grab the ball away from him, shooting it into the net.

“Is it so bad that I’m not bragging about what I do at home? I’m sick of hearing Diego do it.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry man, I’m just playing. Seriously though, it’s going well with you and Alex?”

“Yeah you could say that.” Charlie’s previously annoyed face turned soft and he smiled at Luke.

“What about you? I know that your bruises are from the fight. Did you see the nurse?” Charlie asked, jogging around the court as Luke followed.

“Yeah. I had to have stitches in my side, some asshole must’ve caught me with something sharp. And I’ve got these two bitches.” Luke pointed at the black bruise on his cheek and smaller pink one on his chin. Despite his injuries, Charlie knew there was something different about his mood. Usually he’d be complaining about the fight, or at the very least hold some anger.

“And…..did you talk to Robby?”

“Oh that’s such a long story. Let’s just play.” Luke’s mysterious tone was intriguing, but Charlie jumped as Luke went back to the ball and restarted the practice. As they ran around the court, the game intensified, but the two of them had to remember it was only practice. After a few minutes of intense play, Charlie grabbed his water bottle for a drink, but soon choked when he saw two men heading to the court, also wearing basketball clothes. Wiping his forehead with a towel, he frowned as Alex and Robby bounded up to him, smiling.

“Alex, what the hell?”

“You said you’d teach me to play basketball. I thought I’d bring Robby too. We asked Tyler but he said no.”

“I didn’t think you’d actually want to? You hate sport!”

“No, I love sport!” Alex grinned and shrugged, but Charlie heard the sarcasm in his voice. He gently pulled him out of Robby’s earshot and whispered in his ear.

“Okay Alex, what is your plan here? I know perfectly well that you’d rather walk into Principal Bolan’s office completely naked than play basketball.”

“I mean, I don’t hate basketball that much. But it’s not for me. I knew you were practising with Luke, and Robby asked me.”

“Robby asked you to do what?”

“He has like…..a thing? A thing with Luke. But he’s feeling shy since their last meeting, so he asked if I could help.”

“Oh, I see. Well, we should be able to help with that. But are you really subjecting yourself to this torture for Robby’s sake?”

“Well, it means I get to see you.”

“Aww!” Charlie pounced on him, making Alex roll his eyes a little, but he put his arms back around him.

“Don’t get overexcited. We’re doing this for them.”

“Okay, okay. But you do look insanely hot in that sporty stuff. Did you dress seductively on purpose?”

“Fuck you.” Alex grinned.

“Later.” Charlie purred softly, then jumped as Luke threw the ball in his direction.

“Can you guys leave that for after school? We playing this game or not?” Luke smirked, but he also wanted to squeal when he saw his favourite couple again. Or maybe, second favourite now.

With Charlie and Alex making one team against Luke and Robby, the practice game started simple enough, both teams scoring points consecutively. But Alex and Robby didn’t try so hard to get the ball, if they did it was often passed to their teammate. After Charlie landed another point, Alex nudged Robby as they watched them playing from the side-lines for a moment.

“So, are you and Luke not talking or something?”

“Um…”

“Because if I made things awkward with that game, I really am sorry.”

“No, that’s all fine now. We’re kind of….um…well I’m not really sure.”

“Did something happen?”

“Yes….”

“Good or bad?”

“Good….but…it’s really awkward. I don’t know if we’re dating or something? The last time we spoke was after we kissed in the science lab….it’s been a few days and I feel like I’m walking on eggshells around him.”

“You too nervous to talk to him about it?”

“Very.”

“I have an idea, if you’ll let me.”

“Uh….sure?” Robby looked at Alex with uncertainty, but he trusted his decision. Charlie and Luke had been so absorbed in the game, that they didn’t notice them chatting. Alex stepped in between them and caught the ball as Charlie threw it towards Luke.

“Alex?”

“Right, we’re changing teams. Luke, with me.” Alex threw the ball at him, fully aware that Charlie was frowning behind him. As he faced him, he gestured towards Robby with his eyes. He wasn’t sure if Charlie would understand his meaning, but with an almost telepathic glance, Charlie grinned back at his boyfriend, nodding slightly.

“Hey guys before we start, maybe we should go over some tricks? Robby, come over.” Charlie waved him over, standing behind him. Robby glanced at Alex across the way, seeing him shoot a very quick thumbs-up before Luke could see. Charlie stepped forward, extremely close to Robby. So close, that Robby felt Charlie’s breath on the back on his neck. He pulled Robby’s left arm up slightly, stepping even closer. Unsure of his motives, Robby wanted to flinch, but he knew there was some underlying reason for Charlie’s upfront tactics.

“Robby, is this your dominant hand?”

“U-Um…..yes…”

“Okay, well when you shoot, use this arm, right?” Charlie gently squeezed his arm, his touch still making Robby feel a little uncomfortable. Alex watched them, arms crossed, but smirking to himself. He turned to Luke, who was reacting in the way Alex had hoped. There was a frown across his face as he watched Charlie basically running his hands over Robby.

“Hey Luke? You okay? You look a little weird.” Alex pointed out. Luke scoffed and nodded, but his eyebrow twitched as Charlie continued showing Robby how to play.

“Doesn’t that look weird to you?” Luke asked suddenly, his eyebrows knitting together as Alex shook his head.

“Why should it?”

“Like….your boyfriend is touching another guy?”

“He’s just showing him how to play. Relax, Luke.” Alex smirked and walked over to Charlie, gesturing for him to stop the act. Charlie smiled and let go of Robby, putting his arm around Alex instead. Robby felt himself blushing at the awkward situation, but luckily Alex broke the silence for him.

“Let’s play a game, shall we? We’ll try our new teams.” Alex gave Charlie a quick kiss than ran back to the opposite side of the court, with Charlie signalling the beginning of the game. The team switch gave Alex another opportunity to help Robby, as he got the ball he stood still for a moment, contemplating. Charlie left Robby open for the ball, so as Alex threw it, Luke ran to get it but almost crashed straight into Robby as he also caught it. Both of them were left holding the ball, staring at each other in astonishment. It was a full minute before either of them reacted, the feel of the other’s hand sending familiar shockwaves through their systems. Luke stared at him, lost in the beautiful brown depths once again, before Charlie took the ball from them and smiled softly.

“Okay guys, that’s enough practice. Everyone’s distracted, and classes are starting soon anyway.” Charlie’s diffusion caused everyone to leave the court and get changed, but as he and Alex left to go to class, Robby jumped as Luke caught his wrist as he was about to leave.

“Hey….um….we’re gonna be late….” Robby bit his lip, looking away. Luke sighed softly and gently pulled Robby outside, backing him against the stone wall.

“Robby, why won’t you speak to me?”

“H-Huh?”

“After what happened…..I thought we were okay?”

“That’s……why I’m being weird…..”

“I get it if you changed your mind.” Luke moved back a little, but gasped when Robby pulled him back towards him.

“I haven’t. I can’t stop thinking about you. I want…..I want to be your boyfriend. But I don’t want to ruin your reputation…” Robby said softly, looking at the floor. Luke frowned at his words, his hand found Robby’s chin and titled his face upwards to look at him.

“My reputation?”

“As like…..a popular jock. You have this image….like you and Diego are kings of this school or something… and I’m just……that kid that got raped…” Robby’s eyes widened as he saw a pained and angry look on Luke’s face.

“Don’t ever say that. And I couldn’t give a fuck about the stupid jock image. I don’t want to be like that. Like Bryce. He was loved for being a fucking rapist, and I would rather die than be him. And you, Robby, don’t deserve to be treated like that. Do you even know how I feel about you?”

“Luke…”

“Robby, you mean everything to me. I know you’re scared, but I’ll protect you. I promise.” Luke smiled softly, resting his forehead on Robby’s. Robby blushed hard, looping his arms around his neck.

“I didn’t know you thought like that.”

“No?”

“I’m glad.”

“I was worried too though…”

“You were?”

“I thought you had a crush on Charlie during that game.”

“No! He’s just friendly with everyone. There’s only you…”

“There’s only you for me too..” Luke smiled softly, his arms snaking around Robby’s waist. As they stood against the wall by the field, the faint sound of voices approaching made them stare at each other.

“That’s the gym class right? We should go?” Robby turned to go, but Luke gripped him a bit tighter. He blushed and looked up, catching a flash of Emerald staring at him.

“Just……stay with me. One minute?” Luke nuzzled against Robby’s neck, his hug was almost inescapable, not that Robby wanted to go.

“30 seconds.” Robby protested weakly, but couldn’t help burying his head against Luke’s shirt, breathing him in. As they cuddled, Robby felt his back hit the stone wall once again, but his mind was preoccupied with Luke’s warm body pressed against him. His senses were overwhelmed, Luke’s warmth, Luke’s scent, just everything about him flooded through his system and made his knees feel weak. Then his system was electrified when Luke ducked his head and pressed a kiss to his lips, his own lips responding eagerly. Desperately gripping the taller man’s shoulders, Robby steadied his legs, scared he might fall from the intoxicating kiss. He felt weakness in every part of his body, until Luke gently hooked his hands under his legs, holding them against each other. Never in a million years did Robby think he’d be clinging to the most handsome blonde boy in the school, making out behind the gym. But there he was, wishing that the moment would never end as he felt Luke’s tongue run across his lower lip, requesting permission. Robby could only moan softly when he gladly accepted Luke further, their tongues meeting and sliding together for moment, before a rude interruption startled them out of their actions.

“LUKE! ROBBY! OH MY GOD YOU GUYS!” Diego danced around, his screeching so loud that Luke and Robby rolled their eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't decided whether there will be any light smut between Luke and Robby, but I want to show that Luke respects consent and understands that Robby is damaged from sexual abuse, so I will be exploring that soon!


	10. Romantically Inclined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello there lovely readers! I said I was focusing on Uni work but I seriously have a problem with this couple. I’m biased because I already love Luke and Robby as separate characters, they’ve always been a little guilty pleasure of mine! But I need to calm down haha, this will be my last chapter for a few days, but then my addiction will draw me back 😉 Again, any ideas you’d like me to execute or if you have any guilty non-canon couples you like please do let me know! I love it! Please enjoy this one!
> 
> Also, this one includes very light smut scenes, which hold relevance to the next chapter!

Despite Diego’s untimely interruption, Luke and Robby weren’t fazed in their decision to be together. They departed after the gym class began to enter the building just centimetres away from their make-out spot, and Diego smiled all the way through his class. Charlie was sitting in English when Diego texted him, and he grinned as he forwarded the text to Alex and Tyler.

_Oh my god Charlie! I caught Luke and Robby kissing, this is just as cute as when you and Alex got together. Someone pinch me, I’m in fucking heaven! – Diego._

Unaware of Diego’s squealing text message, Luke and Robby headed towards their own classes. But Robby was pleasantly surprised when they stepped into the hallway, and Luke held his hand. Even though he felt immensely shy, Robby curled his fingers around Luke’s hand and walked in tow with him, trying to ignore the shocked faces and random gasps from other students as they passed. It was almost painful when they had to let go to enter separate classrooms, but Luke reached out and ruffled Robby’s hair with a large smile.

“See you at lunch?”

“Mm-hm…” Robby blushed lightly as Luke kissed his forehead, then disappeared into his own classroom. As he went into his own lesson, Robby knew that lunchtime would be hard to get through, but it was worth it.

Unfortunately, Robby’s estimation was correct, and as the bell rang for lunch he sat down at the usual table, taking his lunch box from his bag. Only a few seconds passed before he heard squealing, and Diego sat opposite him.

“Hey Robby.” He said, smiling widely. Robby sighed deeply and took a drink, trying to resist the urge to roll his eyes again.

“Hi Diego.”

“Soooo……”

“Oh my god. Yes, you got me. Luke and I were kissing. And?”

“I’m happy for you guys. Luke’s awesome.”

“Oh….I thought you were gonna tease me.”

“Nah. I’m really happy! Luke’s not had the easiest time, you know, with dating.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s been rejected a lot.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I’ve known him since freshman year, and so far I know about 7 girls have rejected him.”

“That’s really odd…”

“Oh?”

“Do you know why they rejected him?”

“Oh yeah, one of them told me he was just a big dumb jock. I never spoke to her after that, he’s my best friend, I’m not standing for that shit talk.”

“She was obviously a shallow bitch, because if anyone bothers to have an actual conversation with him they’d realize he’s actually really intelligent. I hate people that judge so fast like that.”

“Thank you for looking out for him. I can tell you’re already better than all of those shitty girls that hurt him before.” Diego smiled widely, and Robby found himself smiling back. As the two of them sat and ate their lunch, the rest of their friends joined them. Luke sat beside him, except they were much closer this time. He put his arm on the table, with his hand open like a request. Robby smiled shyly and linked his hand through Luke’s again, surprised at how much he’d missed the contact. As they played with each other’s fingers, Charlie smiled brightly at them and waved his fork at their entwined hands.

“So, is this a thing now?”

“Yeah.” Luke said confidently, nudging Robby softly.

“About fucking time.” Alex said softly, but he wasn’t speaking maliciously.

“It was cute though, that both of you had those secret little crushes.” Charlie smiled and rested his head on his hand, staring at them.

“I’m happy for you both.” Tyler joined the conversation, also smiling. Hearing all the congratulations and seeing everyone smiling still felt a little surreal for Robby, but as he stroked Luke’s palm he found himself chewing his lip again. He was starting to wonder if things would change at school, and if everyone would be so accepting. His family had already reacted slightly strange when his sister had come out to them, which had prevented him from doing the same thing. Squeezing Luke’s hand, he continued eating and focused on the man next to him.

When the bell rang again, everyone headed off for their last few classes. Robby slowly got up, still holding Luke’s hand tightly. Luke smiled at him, pulling him into his arms for a hug.

“Robby?”

“Yeah?”

“Can…..we have our first date tonight? I’ve been thinking about it for a while…”

“Really?” Robby looked at the floor, covering his bright red face.

“Yeah. I had something planned.”

“I’d love to go on a date with you, Luke.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up at 7.” Luke smiled widely and hugged him, before the two of them went to their remaining classes.

***

As the sky turned a beautiful dark blue, the evening brought opportunity and curiosity. But for Robby, it made his nerves increase by tenfold. He was excited for his date, but it was also a dilemma. Having never been on a date before, he wasn’t sure what to expect. He was comfortable in his knowledge that Luke wouldn’t hurt him, and with his boyfriend’s respect reassuring him, he focused on trivial matters. These included what to wear and how to behave. After showering and towelling his hair dry, he searched through his wardrobe and decided to wear a maroon shirt and smart black jeans. He didn’t want to look too formal but also wanted to look nice, as he presumed Luke would wear something that showed his muscles and would make him swoon. With a permanent pink blush on his cheeks, Robby smoothed his jeans and jogged his knee as he watched the time. It was only a few minutes before Luke was due to arrive, but thousands of emotions flooded his mind, and he bit back his nerves as he heard the doorbell.

Opening the door, Robby smiled softly as he was greeted with Luke’s timely appearance. He was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt that displayed his biceps, and tight blue jeans. Knowing that he’d look good, Robby couldn’t look at him as he took his hand and followed Luke to the mystery date. They stroked each other’s hands as Luke headed towards a small stream near his house, and when they reached the desired destination, Robby gasped as he saw what Luke had done.

There was a small wooden deck overlooking the stream, with a large oak tree looming above it. On the tree, Luke had hung multicoloured lights that gave off a soft glow. On the deck, he’d tied green ribbons around the protective fence and placed small tealights around in a circle. A tartan blanket was spread over the deck, with a picnic basket in the middle and a bottle of lemonade sat next to it. The candles gave off a sweet scent, and the light was soft and pretty against the darkening backdrop. The soft sound of water splashing against the deck was very calming, and Robby had to blink back tears, seeing the effort Luke had gone through.

“Hey, hey what’s wrong?” Luke saw Robby rubbing his eyes and drew him into a hug.

“You….you did all this for me…..”

“Of course. I wanted this to be special.” Luke took his hand and led him to the blanket. Robby swallowed back his insecurities and sat with him, watching the sky change to a darker shade.

“What made you choose this spot?” Robby asked.

“I’ve often walked past here, on the way to school. But I never had anyone to bring so..” Luke started unpacking the food for the basket, while Robby stared at him with his head resting on one hand.

“Diego said something weird earlier.”

“Oh yeah?”

“He said that you’ve been rejected a lot.”

“O-Oh. He’s been dragging that up again?”

“He’s lying, right?”

“Well, not exactly. Girls just don’t like me. Even when I had a girlfriend, it felt strange. That’s when I realized I was bisexual.”

“I find that hard to believe that someone would reject you. You’re the best looking guy at that school…”

“Just to you. But thank you, you’re so good to me.” Luke smiled widely and pushed the basket towards him, offering the food. As they both ate, they continued to speak about their lives and sexualities, making Robby feel at ease. Robby ate a sandwich and poured himself some lemonade as he listened to Luke’s stories. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling, and it was a moment of true content for the two of them.

“Luke, did you speak to your parents?”

“Not yet. I want to…..but my dad keeps giving me this look. Like he hates me.”

“He doesn’t. My dad is like that. When my sister told them she was moving in with her girlfriend, he left the room really fast. I thought he was really angry, but he came back in crying. He was upset because he didn’t want her to leave, and all the times he was hard on her, he was just trying to bring out the best in her. Now he basically lives at her house, and he really loves her girlfriend.” Robby said softly, smiling.

“Robby? Do your parents know…..”

“That I’m gay?”

“Yes.”

“They don’t. But I think they might know deep down. I want to tell them soon. Do yours know that you’re bisexual?”

“No. You know my dad is homophobic, or at least I’m pretty sure he is. My mom will just go along with whatever he says.” Luke sighed deeply and laid down, looking up at the stars. Robby laid down too, his head beside Luke’s.

“Families are so complicated. I like it when it’s just us….”

“Me too. But one day we’ll have to face them.”

“Can we do it together?”

“Yes.” Robby turned to look at Luke, smiling softly. Despite his nervous beginnings, he felt completely relaxed laying next to his past student.

“It’s getting late. Do you want to come over?” Robby suddenly sat up, avoiding eye contact with Luke as he started packing up the rubbish.

“Yeah. I’ll stay in the spare room again.” Luke obliviously started collecting the hanging lights and blew out the candles, unaware that Robby was staring straight into the picnic basket behind him.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to stay in the spare room. My parents are at a work conference for the week. It’s just me at home….” Standing up with the basket in his arm, Luke raised his eyebrow but nodded, accompanying Robby back to his house. On the walk, the two of them were silent but there was a strange tension building as they eventually reached the house, both of them knew what it was but refused to acknowledge it.

As he stayed often, Luke had a spare toothbrush already at Robby’s, and some clean nightclothes. Changing into a white shirt and blue boxers, Luke knocked on Robby’s door and came inside, seeing Robby already in bed.

“Hey, you sure about this? I know you have a double bed, but I’m so fat I’ll probably take all of the space.” Luke giggled as he ducked a pillow being thrown in his direction.

“Shut up and come over already. It’s cold…” Robby peeked out of the covers as Luke walked over, slotting himself beside the smaller man. He blushed hard as Luke stroked his pyjamas, he’d put on a pair of long cotton bottoms and a plain black shirt.

“Luke…..thank you for the date. I had a really nice time…”

“Me too.”

“It’s just…..nobody has done anything like that for me before…”

“You deserve it. And I really like you, so…” Luke scratched the back of his neck, almost bashfully. Robby bit his lip and looked up at him, edging over to hug him. He felt Luke’s large arms stroking his back, and he shivered.

“You still cold?”

“No….”

“You’re trembling…”

“Because…..L-Luke I have to tell you something.”

“What’s up?” Luke tried to remain calm, but his heart started beating wildly when he heard Robby’s admission. He leaned down and tilted Robby’s head upwards, stroking his cheek for a moment.

“I’ve….been going to therapy…and I know you are aware of that. But…ever since we’ve been together something has changed. When we kissed…..after that basketball thing……you did something…”

“Shit….I’m really sorry…”

“No! It’s not like that….I felt…..turned on….for the first time in years….”

“O-Oh…”

“And….I’ve been talking to Dr Singh about it. I hope you don’t mind.” He blushed madly, but Luke continued stroking his face.

“Not at all. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. For the first time, I don’t feel so scared anymore. It feels safe with you.” Robby buried against Luke’s chest, whilst Luke gently rested his chin on his head. Running his hand gently through Robby’s hair, Luke held him protectively and leaned close to his ear.

“Robby, I’ll always protect you. I promise. When I’m with you, I feel like I can really be myself. Not this stupid dumb jock that everyone thinks I am. You’re the only person that sees through that.”

“And you’re the only person that I can talk to like this…..like openly….” Nestling against Luke’s chest, Robby shivered again when he felt Luke playing with his hair, and he looked up at him with a smile. They rubbed noses for a moment, giggling. Taking Luke’s free hand in his own, Robby kissed his fingertips lightly, still smiling. He felt Luke’s grip in his hair tighten a little at his actions, and he gasped lightly when he saw Luke blushing.

“Luke, are you okay?”

“S-Shut up…”

“Did you like that?” Robby kissed his fingers again, and he could almost feel Luke’s cheeks radiating heat.

“You make my stomach flutter when you do that…”

“Why? Are you sensitive?” Robby smiled widely and peppered light kisses down Luke’s neck, his touch so light that Luke gasped.

“S-Stop…”

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“N-No….I like it too much….” Luke crossed his legs and looked away, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. Robby raised his eyebrow and bit his lip when he saw the problem.

“Luke, kiss me.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. If I want to stop, I’ll tell you.” Robby said softly as he repositioned himself. Luke got on top of him, being extremely careful not to put too much weight on him. As they laid against each other, their lips found each other in a moment of passion, but blissful tenderness. Holding Luke against him, Robby searched desperately for his tongue, groaning out when they met for a second time. He yearned for the feeling again, the feeling of excitement, but also the safety that came with Luke’s embrace. His fears were evaporated when Luke gently sucked his bottom lip, and he let out a louder moan. With his eyes half-open, Robby ran his hands up Luke’s shirt, pulling him even closer. With this action he felt Luke’s crotch and blushed hard, pressing up to meet him.

“R-Robby..”

“Luke….come closer.”

“I don’t want to crush you…”

“You won’t. Please..” Robby panted lightly as Luke lowered himself a little more, his erection pressed against Robby’s leg. Reaching down, Robby ran his hand down Luke’s abdomen and hovered above his penis.

“Can I?”

“Robby….you don’t have to do that…”

“I want to. Luke…..I promise you, it’s okay. Come here.” Robby kissed him and held him tightly, still touched by Luke’s respect. It was that factor that made him want Luke even more, the pace was so comfortable and he didn’t feel scared. Feeling Robby melting in his arms made Luke gently slide against him, gasping when he was met with friction. Both of them were hard, and Robby moaned out when he felt Luke against him.

“Luke…..touch me..”

“Robby…ah…” Luke rested his lips back over Robby’s as he felt his hand slipping into his boxers. He felt Robby guiding Luke’s own hand to his pyjama bottoms, and they started gently stroking the other’s cock.

“L-Luke….nnngh…..that’s nice…”

“You’re so beautiful…” Luke panted breathily as they both picked up the pace, moaning into each other’s mouth as they kissed. The experience was new to both of them, but they couldn’t hold back their emotions. Robby could see lights bursting before his eyes, and his body shook as he gripped Luke tighter, stroking like he couldn’t stop. In a moment of delirious pleasure and moans filling the room, they released together and laid panting in each other’s arms. After cleaning up, Robby hugged Luke and laid against him, breathless.

“Robby, are you okay?”

“Mmm…..you’re perfect…” Robby said sleepily, dozing against Luke’s chest. As his eyes closed, he didn’t hear Luke’s last words.

“Is this what love feels like?”


	11. Conflicting Concerns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Okay so after a very fluffy and intimate chapter, I have to say there is some angst coming! But please don’t worry, Roluke will fight this! I made the ship name Roluke with the help of my best friend, I hope you like it hehe! But without further ado, here is some angst and some make-up times for you!

Walking into school on Monday morning, Robby felt as though he was walking on air. Even though he had permanently pink singed cheeks, he couldn’t stop thinking about Luke. The date they’d shared, and the intimacy afterwards. For the first time in years, he’d managed to overcome his fear and make a connection with someone, and it felt amazing. He barely noticed as Tyler joined him in the corridor, and he jumped when he heard Tyler speaking loudly next to him.

“Earth to Robby?”

“Oh! Sorry Tyler. How are you?” Robby beamed, almost toppling Tyler over with the brightness of his smile.

“I’m great! You didn’t hear a word I said, did you?” Tyler giggled, staring at the shorter man.

“I didn’t, I’m sorry. I was…..daydreaming.”

“Ohhh? Could that be because of a certain blonde jock?”

“Maybe. It just…..it feels so good to move on. Tyler, you’re the only one that really understands how hard it is to…..forget…”

“Yeah, I know. But hey, we’ve both done so well, you know?”

“It felt so hard at the beginning. But I’m proud of us too.” Robby smiled widely as Tyler nodded back at him, the two them sharing a silent moment of happiness. Tyler continued walking with him and gestured towards the sports hall.

“There’s another assembly today, it’s about graduation or something. Shall we sit together?” Tyler smiled and walked into the hall with Robby, the two of them sitting high up in the stand. Students started to fill in, and Robby bit his lip as he saw Luke heading towards them. He edged over to make space, and Luke sat beside him. He waved at Tyler on Robby’s other side and smiled softly.

“Hey guys. Did I miss anything?”

“I think they’re just starting.” Robby smiled at him, blushing as Luke rested his hand on his knee. Even at his lightest touch, he still found his stomach doing backflips. Principal Bolan’s voice soon startled him out of his thoughts.

“Hello everyone! Thank you for coming! Today’s assembly will be given by a former student! I will pass over to Mr Danes!” Principal Bolan started clapping, oblivious to who he’d introduced. A man stepped onto the stage, wearing a blue denim jacket and jeans. He was visually normal, and the students clapped his appearance, but for Robby, his entire world crashed into pieces.

“Hello everyone! My name is Harry, and I was a student here two years ago. I had some uh…..very bad moments. But I’m to shed some light about what you could do after you graduate.” As Harry proceeded to talk about a college, Robby felt his hands ball into fists. He closed his eyes and started breathing heavily, struggling to stop his heart beating unevenly. His mouth was dry, and he could taste something unpleasant, like metal. As he began to tremble in his seat, Luke felt his knee shaking and looked at him with concern.

“Robby? Hey, hey you okay?” Luke said softly, reaching for his hand. Robby gripped his hand, digging his nails hard into his palm in a desperate effort to stay conscious. Luke put his other hand over Robby’s, looking around the room to try and understand what caused his panic attack so suddenly. His gaze followed Robby’s, and he saw him staring directly at Harry with a mixture of disgust and terror.

“I can’t….I can’t be here….Luke…” Robby panted softly, clutching his chest. Without speaking, Luke gripped his hand and took him out of the hall, straight outside onto the field. He’d been so swift in his actions that nobody in the assembly had even noticed. Sitting him on a bench outside, Luke got a bottle of water and handed it to his boyfriend, still filled with worry. Robby took hesitant sips, but as he drank he appeared to calm a little.

“Hey, I’ve got you.” Luke gently reminded him, stroking his hand. With each breath proving less of a challenge, Robby nodded shakily and looked up at him.

“I didn’t……think I’d see him again..”

“It’s him, isn’t it? He hurt you.”

“Y-Yes. L-Luke…I don’t want to be here…”

“I’m taking you home.”

“I can’t just walk out.”

“I’ll tell the teacher you were sick. Please, Robby I have to make sure you’re okay, and safe.” Luke’s voice was filled with concern, and a little fear. The thought of Harry getting near Robby was enough to make his blood boil, let alone if he spoke to him. It didn’t take much to convince Robby to go home, and as Luke held his hand tight he guided him to his house. Before he left, he tucked Robby in bed and kissed his head, watching the shorter man fall into a light slumber in seconds. The stress and trauma of the situation had taken it’s toll already, and as Luke headed back to school he was met with Diego staring at him.

“Luke? Did you leave?”

“Yeah. I had to….do something. Did I miss that shit assembly?”

“Yeah, that guy looks like such a dick. Shouting about how he amazing he is and flaunting his stupid cash. It was great, Alex called him an entitled asshole in front of the principal.”

“He’s not wrong.” Luke felt his eyebrow twitching as he went back inside, heading towards his first class. All through his first class, he sent multiple texts to Robby and promised to visit him after school. Even when he was sat around his friends at lunch, he couldn’t focus or eat anything. Charlie could sense something was wrong, and he gently tapped Luke’s shoulder.

“Luke? You okay?”

“Has anyone seen Robby? He was here earlier, I thought he went to the toilet but he never came back.” Tyler interrupted the conversation, which only made Luke’s eyebrow twitch even more.

“He went home. Wasn’t feeling well.” Luke mumbled, looking at the floor. Tyler and Alex looked at each other in confusion, but didn’t press the issue.

“What did you guys think of that assembly, a load of bullshit huh? That kid, Harry, didn’t he almost get expelled?” Alex said, biting his sandwich. Luke looked up curiously, his gaze turning fierce as he looked at Alex.

“Why was he almost expelled?”

“He used to do weird shit in the showers. One guy made a complaint.” As Alex finished his sentence, Luke’s fist slammed the table and made everyone jump.

“Luke?” As everyone looked at Luke, they had no idea how bad the situation was about to become. Harry sauntered into the cafeteria, heading straight for their table.

“Well, hello there! You guys must be Liberty’s new team no?” Harry said as he leaned against the table. Whilst Tyler and Alex rolled their eyes at each other, Diego sighed deeply.

“No shit, genius. How did you guess?” Diego smirked at Charlie. They were wearing their football gear, so he found the question pointless.

“Dear dear! There’s no need to be rude. I’ve heard good things about the team. Especially about the acceptance of gay guys. It wasn’t so good in my day, I can tell you.”

“Oh, so you’re a homophobe too? Fuck you.” Alex scoffed as Charlie frowned, everyone at the table was getting irritated. But Diego’s eyes were still trained on Luke, he watched as Luke stood up, face to face with Harry. He could feel the anger radiating off him, and he gently pushed Jessica away to run to his side.

“Luke, man you okay?”

“Ooh, this guy thinks he’s tough! Hello.” Harry smirked, crossing his arms. Luke was still emitting anger, so much so that Charlie joined Diego at his side.

“Luke? Luke, come on. Let’s go sit down.” Charlie also tried and failed to register in Luke’s face, his two friends pleas ignored as he stared at Harry in front of him.

“What’s the matter with your stupid friend? Does he have a crush on me or something?” Harry regretted his words as Luke’s anger flared, and in a single moment, his first rose and hit him hard in the face, sending him into the wall behind him. A crack and a screech indicated he’d done fair damage, but his mind was still furious. As Luke ran over to continue beating him, Charlie and Diego held him back, as Alex and Tyler watched wide-eyed.

“LUKE! Luke, leave him man it’s not worth it!” Diego shouted, snapping Luke into reality. As they dragged him into a nearby classroom, Alex and Tyler followed. Charlie got a towel and handed it to Luke, for his bruised knuckles. Luke sat on a chair, panting heavily. Whilst his anger was still present, he felt his eyes welling up with tears. Diego knelt down in front of him, putting his hands on his knees.

“Talk to us, man. What happened?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Luke, you can trust us.” Charlie knelt down with Diego, both of them displaying extreme concern. Tyler raised his eyebrows and saw that Luke was holding back tears.

“It’s Robby, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Harry Danes. I’m so fucking stupid. I’ve heard that name before. At support group.” Tyler sighed softly and crossed his arms, sitting on another chair.

“Support group..” Alex had a moment of realization and gently patted Tyler’s shoulder. Luke sniffled and nodded, looking down at the two heads below him desperate for answers.

“He did that…..to Robby….and I couldn’t…..stop myself. I wanted to kill him….”

“He’s just like Bryce.” Alex said, his voice tinged with sadness. Whilst Diego still wasn’t aware of how Bryce died, he didn’t think twice about Alex’s view. He nodded and patted Luke’s knees, glancing at Charlie.

“I understand why you punched him. He can’t get away with this.” Diego stood up and looked at the others, crossing his arms.

“Luke, we won’t do anything unless you tell us to. But make sure Robby is okay. We’ll be here when you need us.” Diego nodded and left, followed by Tyler and Alex. Charlie lingered for a moment.

“Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“I’d do the same thing if this situation was reversed. But, I don’t think killing him would make you feel any better.”

“You’re right. But when I see him….I see what he did to Robby.”

“I know. But you have to be there for Robby now, the anger won’t help. I can see in your eyes that you are full of rage. But trust me, you need to try and put that aside.”

“Charlie, I don’t want to hurt anyone. But I want him to pay for what he did.”

“And we’ll back you on that, all the way.”

“Thank you.” Luke stood up and kept the cold towel on his knuckles, following Charlie to the door. Charlie turned back at him and offered him a small smile.

“Through all the anger, I can see you, you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“You act out, because you care. You’ve really fallen for him, haven’t you?”

“I….I do love him, yes.”

“You’ve come a long way, Luke. I’m glad.”

“I owe that to you. I wouldn’t have even known I was bisexual, if you hadn’t shown such devotion to Alex. Charlie, thank you man.”

“You’re welcome. Robby’s lucky to have you.” Charlie and Luke smiled softly at each other, offering a friendly fist bump as Luke realised he’d acknowledged his feelings.

_I’d do anything for the one that I love._


	12. Taking Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! Roluke are back again, it’s so much fun writing this, if anyone’s actually reading thank you haha I don’t know if this story is any good but considering the sweet words and kudos I get, it’s all appreciated so much! Without further ado, let’s have a happy chapter for Robby, even it begins with angst.

Stirring in bed, Robby pulled the covers over his head and sniffled. He was still wearing the clothes he’d worn to school, but Luke had taken off his shoes and tucked him in bed. That morning had been such a blur, he’d had a panic attack and vaguely remembered Luke looking after him. But then the sweet release of slumber had overtaken him, and his nap had allowed his breathing to return to normal. But huddling in the darkness, he sighed softly remembering the assembly. It was bad enough to see Harry again, but he worried about Luke doing something he might regret later. With his hand poking out of the bed, he scrambled around for his phone and called Tyler.

“Robby! Hey! I’m so glad you called!” Tyler’s voice was happy, but Robby frowned as he heard some ambiguity.

“Tyler? Uh…sorry I wasn’t feeling so well, so I went home. Did I miss anything in class?”

“No no, I have a spare sheet of the homework. But uh…something happened…”

“Something?”

“It’s Luke. He punched someone.”

“What?! What the hell happened?!”

“It was that….Harry guy.” Robby’s throat closed up and his heart dropped when he heard Tyler’s last words, and he paused for a moment, sitting up in bed.

“Tyler…….did he say something…..?”

“Robby, I remember his name. Are you okay?”

“No. I wasn’t ill. Seeing him…..it was a really bad trigger.”

“I figured. And Luke….Luke was just trying to defend you.”

“I have to speak to him. Harry, I mean. Is he still at school?” Robby put his shoes on and grabbed his bag, this time hearing an ominous silence on Tyler’s end.

“Robby……are you sure you should do that? I mean if seeing him is too much…”

“If he hurt Luke, I’m not just going to sit around. I’m sorry Ty.” Robby hung up and headed straight back to Liberty. Only the teachers and cleaners were there after hours, bar the few students that were in detention. Even though he had no idea where to start looking for him, Robby started scanning the corridors. For some reason, he was overwhelmed with anger, and when Luke was brought into the equation he couldn’t stop himself. Stopping at the boy’s locker room, he heard distinct voices inside. His heart was racing, but his feet moved without his permission.

_Go back to where it all started._

“Yeah, so this stupid blonde dick broke my nose! I’m not letting him get away with that!” Harry was speaking to a group of boys who were sitting around him, listening eagerly. Robby’s heart was in his throat as he stepped behind him.

_Take your life back, Robby. They can’t hurt you anymore._

“You’re not going to do anything to Luke.” Robby’s voice was shy and timid, but his words were clear. Harry’s head whipped around at the intrusion, and he looked equally shocked to see Robby standing there.

“Oh my god! It’s you! I can’t believe you’re here, did you miss me?” Harry stood up and walked towards him, whilst Robby back up against the wall. He could smell a familiar stench on Harry’s breath, and he wrinkled his nose.

“Why would I miss you?”

“Because, I took your special place. You have been faithful to me, right?”

“You fucking raped me…” Robby spat poisonously.

“Now now, that’s a bit strong.”

“It was that cubicle, right there. When I stood up, and bled so badly I thought I was dying. But I realized something.”

“Oh?”

“How did it feel, inflicting yourself on someone like that? Did you enjoy it? Watching me bleed?” Robby felt his voice getting louder, and as he stepped forward he looked straight into Harry’s eyes. Despite being much shorter, he felt the confidence rising.

“What the fuck?”

“Because that’s what you did. You raped me. Rape. RAPE.” Robby kept repeating the word, making sure that Harry understood fully what he’d done.

“I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did. You violated me, multiple times. With a fucking baseball bat. If that’s not rape, please, tell me what is.”

“You wanted it.”

“OH, SO I SPEFICALLY SAID TO YOU, PLEASE RAPE ME HARRY?!”

“Stop it..”

“No. I want you to acknowledge what you did! Did you actually think it was consensual? Are you that deluded?!”

“You liked me. I gave you what you wanted.”

“I never liked you! You were an asshole when you went to Liberty, and now you’re even worse. You’re pathetic, and looking at you makes me feel physically ill.”

“You’re a liar.”

“I actually feel sorry for you, you’re so pathetic you think I actually liked you?!”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t still think about it. Nobody makes you feel like I did. We had fun.” Harry leaned close to his face and Robby wrinkled his nose even more. Even though there was still fear in his system, he leant close to Harry’s ear. Harry smirked, thinking he’d got his way, but his eyes widened as Robby started speaking.

“You’re the ugliest, most pathetic man I’ve ever seen. You strut around, pretending that you’re the best. But I see you for what you are. An opportunist. I can see right through your head, and you’re just a scared little boy hiding in the closet from mommy. You rape people, to stop the emptiness. But you don’t fool me. You, are a fucking predator. And I’m done being your prey.” Robby panted hard, his words like venom from a snake bite. Harry looked like he was going to burst into tears, and he pulled off him.

“L-Let’s go.” He looked back at the other boys, and they walked out of the locker room. Robby stood against the wall, clutching his chest. The adrenaline was unlike anything he’d ever felt, it felt like he’d just battled a dragon, and won. A few seconds later, he heard footsteps approaching.

“Robby…..holy shit….I was just on my way to stop you…..but fuck!” Tyler was standing beside him, grinning. Robby looked up, his heart still racing.

“Huh?”

“He’s literally crying! Harry!”

“He is?”

“Because you well and truly screwed him up! I heard your conversation, and you were awesome.” Tyler smiled widely, leaning against the locker. Robby blew his fringe upwards and bit his lip.

“I still can’t catch my breath…”

“Come on, let’s go to Monet’s.”

“I need to see Luke..”

“Well that’s good, because he’s at Monet’s. Let’s go.” Tyler grinned as Robby bounded ahead, with a new spring in his step. The confidence hadn’t faded yet, and as Tyler opened the door to Monet’s, Luke stood up in surprise to see Robby with him.

“Robby, I have to tell you some-“

“Don’t talk..” Robby said softly, before standing up on his tiptoes to kiss Luke, in front of everyone. Luke looped his arms around him, still surprised but happy. Charlie looked at Tyler with his eyebrow raised, whilst Diego squealed.

“You guys, Robby just made Harry cry. It was amazing.” Tyler grinned, and explained the story to Charlie, Alex and Diego. Luke and Robby blocked out any background noises, and just lost themselves in each other for a few moments.

**Author's Note:**

> Should I continue this? :P


End file.
